


Ricochet of LoVe

by Buffyworldbuilder



Series: The Ricochet Effect [2]
Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:09:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 47,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29706612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buffyworldbuilder/pseuds/Buffyworldbuilder
Summary: This is the sequel to "Ricochet" that I promised I would write. It begins with their senior year. In this tale, Veronica will work through the issues Cassidy's rape has brought up. Dick will try to come to terms with what has happened with his brother. Mac will be compelled to help Dick. Logan and Weevil's friendship grows as Logan falls deeper in love with Veronica. The end includes an epilogue that goes several years into the future, so there are no loose ends.Disclaimer: I do not own Veronica Mars or any of Rob Thomas' character.
Relationships: Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie/Eli "Weevil" Navarro, Dick Casablancas/Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie, Logan Echolls/Veronica Mars
Series: The Ricochet Effect [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019314
Comments: 50
Kudos: 22





	1. The Ricochet Continues

***** _*Sunday Before Senior Year Begins_ ******

Logan and Weevil walked into the San Diego Correctional Facility Sunday afternoon. Logan had taken Weevil's advice and gotten an architecture to draw up some plans for his recently burned to the ground house. However, he couldn't begin any work until his father signed off on the plans. This meant he had to go see his father. It was the first time he'd see his father since he was jailed and denied bail. After they went through security, Weevil sat down in a chair in the lobby. Only Logan and Trina were on Aaron's approved guest list, and Weevil couldn't go any further.

Logan was dreading this showdown. He had hated his father before he found out that he was the one who killed Lilly and then tried to kill Veronica. Now he struggled with his growing desire to commit patricide. His father came and sat down on the chair on the other side of the glass. Aaron was smiling when he saw his son.

"Logan! I'm so glad you finally came to see me!" Aaron said happily.

Logan worked hard to contain both his rage and his hatred. His father would work against him if Logan pushed him. He'd learned from an early age what response to get out of his father. Many beatings he'd received at his father's hand were because Logan wanted the outcome more than he wanted to avoid the beating. Now he wanted something from his father, so he'd play the game.

"Dad. You're looking fit," he said diplomatically. And it was true. His father must be spending a lot of quality time bulking up because he was fitter than ever.

"Well, there's not a lot to do in here but read and work out," Aaron said.

"So did your attorney let you know about what happened to our house?" Logan asked, not wanting anymore small talk.

Aaron grimaced. "I can't believe you let that happen, Logan!" Aaron exclaimed.

"It's not like I invited them in, Dad. I almost died," Logan said.

Aaron looked a bit concerned. "I heard you were in the hospital. You didn't call me," Aaron said disapprovingly.

"Yeah, well, you aren't exactly father of the year," Logan said sarcastically. "Luckily for you the family name will live on. Or should I say, thanks to Weevil."

"Weevil?" Aaron asked in confusion.

"Weevil Navarro, our housekeeper's grandson, pulled me out of the house before I died of smoke inhalation," Logan shared.

"Eli? I think I read that. Isn't he a PCHer? How do you know he didn't set the house on fire himself?" Aaron said suspiciously.

"Because I was beaten unconscious by several guys, and he wasn't one of them. Also, he called Veronica and warned her," Logan supplied.

"Veronica Mars!" Aaron said with loathing. If only that little girl had kept her too smart nose out of his business. She was the reason he was there. One day, she'd get what was coming to her. "Please tell me that you aren't still dating that girl!"

"Okay, I won't," Logan said. "I'm not here to talk to you about her but about rebuilding the house."

"You want to rebuild?" Aaron asked in surprise.

"Well, Weevil convinced me it's what my mom would've wanted. I'm living with him and his grandmother right now," Logan said.

"You're living with my housekeeper? Are you trying to punish me?" Aaron asked in disapproval.

"Yes, I chose to have my house burned down and to move into our housekeeper's home as a way to get back at you," Logan said sourly. He opened up the round container that held the new plans. "I brought these for you to see, but I didn't think about the glass." They wouldn't fit in the small hole at the bottom of the glass.

"You can give them to my attorney. He can give them to me," Aaron said.

Logan folded up the contract he'd also brought and slip it in the hole. His dad pulled it out and read it.

"You want to start right away?" Aaron asked.

"The house is a burned-out shell. Only the pool house is basically intact," Logan said. "It'll take some time to clean up the current mess, so I figure we should get started right away. Maybe it can be done by the time I graduate."

"With enough money, you can get it done in six months," Aaron said smugly.

"I don't want it to be as big. Mom's gone, and Trina is rarely around. I was thinking only five or six bedrooms," Logan said.

Aaron frowned. "That's too small. I have a reputation to uphold," Aaron said.

"Your reputation? Are you f***ing kidding me? You're in jail for murder and attempted murder! I think your reputation is as low as it could go!" Logan said angrily.

Aaron knew Logan had a point. If he beat this rap, a small modest home would be a good tool for his comeback. "Fine. Do whatever you want. You need more money just contact my attorney. Whatever you want, son," Aaron said in resignation.

"I just want a home, not a mausoleum. It'll be big enough to satisfy your ego," Logan said dryly. "I'll even let Trina decorate half the rooms."

"You know your sister visits me once a month," Aaron said pointedly.

"Well, bully for you. She sent me flowers when I almost died, but I didn't warrant a visit," Logan said sourly.

Aaron looked at his son with a touch of regret. "I'll sign the papers," he said sorrowfully.

Logan didn't buy it, and it didn't serve to ease his hatred or his anger. He knew his dad could manufacturer any emotion he wanted. A true sociopath, his father didn't have emotions like a normal person. Logan knew that Aaron saw him as an extension of himself, proof that the family line would continue. Trina was the only one Logan ever felt his father genuinely loved. He used to care about that. Jealousy for his father's love had kept him awake at night when he was much younger and still cared. Now it didn't bother him at all. His father had driven his mother to suicide, and the last thing he wanted from the man was love.

"Thanks," Logan said.

"I'll sign them and give them to my lawyer tomorrow," Aaron said.

Logan got up. He had nothing else to say to the man. "Okay, then. I'll send you some pictures of the charred shell of the house and the after shot when they clear it up," Logan found himself offering.

Aaron got up and nodded. He gave his son a grateful smile and then was led away.

Logan took the plans and put them back in the long cylinder. Then he headed back to the lobby.

Weevil looked up from his phone when Logan appeared. He had been trading witty texts with Mac. The woman was funny as hell. It always surprised him to discover she had so many hidden depths.

"How'd it go?" he asked Logan, getting to his feet.

"Okay. He said he'd sign the papers," Logan said.

"That's good," Weevil said as they walked out of the facility.

Logan was silent until they got into the truck. "Glad that's over," he said.

"What did he say?" Weevil couldn't help asking.

"Nothing surprising. The house being burned down was my fault or your fault. I'm a bad son for not visiting him. Trina visits monthly. Yada, yada," Logan said in annoyance.

Weevil looked disgusted. "He's a piece of work," Weevil said.

"You don't know the half of it," Logan said.

"Well, at least he's good for something. They can get started on the house," Weevil said.

"Very true. The money will come pouring in," Logan said grimly. They drove the rest of the way back to Neptune in mostly silence. Weevil wasn't one of those guys who was uncomfortable with silence. Unlike Dick, Weevil didn't feel the need to fill up the silence with pointless chatter and only spoke when he had something to say. Logan found himself really appreciating this quality in Weevil.

When he was back in his room, he pulled at his cell to call Veronica. He hadn't seen her since she told him she needed space. It had only been a week, but the distance between them was killing him. He wanted to see her. After his visit with his father, he _needed_ to see her. Instead, he had to settle for a phone call.

"Hello," she said.

"Hey," he said.

Veronica could tell from the tone of his voice that he wasn't okay. "How did it go?" she asked. She knew that he had seen his father today for the first time since his arrest.

"About what you'd expect. He signed the papers," Logan shared.

"That's good. We can start picking out furniture," she said lightly.

"Something to look forward to. We can get on our computers at the same time and look at pictures," he said in annoyance.

"Logan," she admonished. "Don't be like that."

"How am I supposed to be? Are you going to go out and pick out furniture with me? That'd involved us actually spending time together," Logan said bitterly. He didn't want to pick a fight with her. It was just he missed her so much. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I know this isn't easy. I'm sorry for putting you through this," she said.

"School starts on Monday. Are you going to ignore me? Can I talk to you? I need some guidelines here, Veronica. This is killing me. I miss you so much. Talking on the phone isn't enough," he said.

"I miss you, too. I really do, and I don't plan on avoiding you. We haven't broken up," she reminded him. "We talk on the phone every day."

"It's not the same," he said sourly.

She sighed. "My dad leaves tomorrow for his book tour," she said, changing the subject.

"Oh yeah? How long will he be gone?" Logan asked, letting her change the subject.

"A month. I'll be staying at Wallace's during the week. On school nights," Veronica said.

"Bunk beds?" Logan teased.

"Special ordered," she replied.

"He better not get to see you in your underwear!" Logan admonished.

He relaxed on the bed and let the tension of the day ease away as they began their normal routine of teasing and flirting.

***** _*The Casablancas*_ *****

Saturday afternoon Dick had a surprising visitor.

"Hello, Mom," he said when she came into the house without ringing the doorbell. "So glad of you to rush home. I mean it's been two weeks since Cassidy almost killed himself and was hospitalized, a week since Dad committed murder and fled the country."

Not surprisingly, his mother didn't appreciated his sarcasm. She ignored it with a disapproving look and reached up to kiss his cheek. "You get taller every time I see you. You're all grown up now, Richard. I knew you could handle things until I was able to get here," she said.

"Gee, thanks for the that," he said sarcastically.

"I don't appreciate the attitude. I've been on a plane for sixteen hours!" she scolded.

"Yes, and I bet you rushed over here as soon as the plane landed," Dick said knowingly. When she flashed him a look of guilt, he said, "That's what I figured. When did you get in?"

"Yesterday. I needed to rest up and meet with the attorneys this morning," she said. "I got your trust fund released. Your brother's won't be released until he's eighteen if he passes a mental evaluation at that time. If not, we'll try again at twenty-one. A monthly stipend will be in an account I set up for him this morning."

"That's so generous of you," Dick said with uncharacteristic bitterness.

His mother was unprepared for this change in Dick. Her oldest had always been happy-go-lucky. Fun and unflappable were qualities she would have used to describe him. This change in attitude had caught her off guard. "Dick, I'm sorry I wasn't here. What do you want from me?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said flatly and he turned away from her. There was silent between them a few minutes. Then Dick realized something and turned to face her. "On the other hand, I do want something from you. I want you to go see Cassidy," he ordered.

"Of course! I was planning to," she said defensively. "He's my son, and I love him."

"Do you? Because from where I'm sitting there's no 'of course' about it!" Dick said angrily. "You abandoned him to be abused and now he's a rapist and almost mass murderer!"

She blinked at the sudden attack. For some reason, she hadn't expected it even though deep down she knew her son wasn't completely wrong. She had been clueless and too caught up in her happy second marriage to give much thought to her own children. "I refuse to believe that my sweet, sensitive Cassidy was going to hurt anyone!" she defended. "And don't try to convince me otherwise!"

Dick realized there wasn't much point in arguing. All that mattered was she go see his brother. "Fine," he said in resignation.

"I'm going to come back home more. I promise. I can't believe your father! Skips town at a time like this! What was he thinking?" she demanded.

Dick found it amusing that it never occurred to her his father was the one who killed Woody Goodman. He saw no reason to shatter her delusion. "Who cares? It's not like he was any better with Cassidy than you. Actually, he was much worse. Cassidy's better off with him gone," Dick said darkly.

"When he gets out of the hospital, I'll take him home with me," she said.

"No, you won't take my brother to another country where I'll never get to see him!" Dick said hotly.

"Maybe it's what he needs, Richard," she said softly.

Dick looked at him mother with an edge of panic. It was bad enough his brother went off the deep end. He hadn't even begun to come to terms with all that had occurred, but what would he do without his brother? It had always been the two of them. Dick and Beaver. Cassidy and Dick. Rarely did one see one without the other for long. As different as night and day, he was still Dick's shadow, his best friend. He followed Dick everywhere. How would Dick manage if she took him across the world? Who would he have then? Logan had always had Duncan. They were good friends, but Logan wasn't his brother. Logan didn't need him. He had Veronica and now even Weevil. Dick's only real place was with his brother. Without him, he was all alone.

****** _Monday Morning at Neptune High*_ *****

Logan and Weevil pulled up to school in his Xterra. They were arriving later than planned. "I wanted to spend time with Veronica before classes start. Now we have like five minutes," he said sourly as he turned off the car.

"You're the one who takes longer to get ready than my grandmother," Weevil pointed out with a grin.

"You're the one who had to be stubborn," Logan replied as they got out of his truck.

"It's not a good idea for us to show up together," Weevil said. "I have a reputation to uphold."

Logan knew that wasn't what he meant. It was Logan's reputation he was suddenly concerned with. "Listen, my mindless drones can either fall in line or get left behind," Logan said. "You don't get it, Weevil. I don't care about popularity. I mean it's always been there because of who my dad was. But now he's a murder. It didn't change anything, though, because we aren't bankrupt yet. Duncan is even more popular than I am. If they can handle me dating Veronica, they'll deal with you."

Weevil hadn't wanted to ride to school with Logan. Even now as they walked across the school parking lot he could feel the eyes on them, hear the whispers. He had been whispered about before, but it was always with a touch of awe and fear. Now it was different. Things were turned completely upside down. Weevil hadn't realized how loyal Logan would be once he'd put aside their animosity. Since he and V were on the outs the past week, Weevil and Logan had spent more time together than ever. Weevil had found himself laughing his ass off more than once when Logan's dry and cutting wit was on a roll. Trying to teach him to be a mechanic had been highly entertaining. However, he shouldn't have been surprised that the man's keen mind had allowed him to quickly grasp the fundamentals sooner than Weevil had expected.

The two new friends went into the school without stopping to talk to the many people who said hello to Logan. There were many odd looks, but Logan didn't care. They could all go to hell. He was interested in only one person. The sexy little blonde that had somehow become his entire world. He hadn't seen in her in way too long, but now that school was started that would end. No matter what he'd at least get to see her every day. Finally, he spotted her and Mac with Wallace by the lockers.

The student body seemed to be watching with baited breathe. The rumors had been circulating all summer. First, Veronica Mars had been shot by a PCHer that had shot up Logan's car. Logan had finally been proven innocent of the PCHer murder, but now he was suddenly living with the leader or former leader—the rumors couldn't agree. It had all seemed so improbable. However, since they all saw Logan arrive with Weevil, everyone knew that there was some truth to it. Rumors of trouble in paradise with Logan and Veronica had made the rounds when Logan hadn't been seen anywhere with the pixy blonde the past week. The student body watched eagerly to see the fireworks as Logan purposely walked toward Veronica Mars.

Logan paused a few feet in front of Veronica. She found her heart racing as she finally laid eyes on him. It had surprised her how hard it had been to not see him for more than a week. They'd been a part since her birthday. Longing to see his face and feel his arms around her had been her constant companion all week. However, she'd still been plagued by bad dreams. Reliving the scene with Cassidy at his party wasn't surprising. But the dream where he raped her while Logan looked on and laughed with Dick had broken her heart. The fear that this wasn't real between them was there, and she couldn't pretend it wasn't.

Yet as the two faced each other for the first time in days, her eye brow rose in challenge. What would he do now that he had her in sight? Anticipation filled her.

For Logan, the rest of the world faded away as his eyes feasted on her. Mac, Wallace, and the school disappeared, and only she remained. Only she truly mattered. In that moment, he didn't care about her fears or her doubts. All he cared about was kissing her. He stepped forward and had her up against the lockers kissing her passionately. Their classmates and friends looked on in surprise. Wallace grimaced and turned away. Watching his best friend be practically devoured by her boyfriend was not his idea of a pleasant time.

Veronica was powerless against Logan's passion. It overwhelmed her, but she returned his kiss with equal fervor. Finally, the couple separated and their eyes locked. The look between them was so scorching that the crowd backed away—the intimacy was too much for most. Weevil rolled his eyes at their theatrics and greeted Mac with a soft kiss on her cheek. He held out his hand, and she took it, giving him a sweet smile. Their classmates watched with interest as the new couple walked down the hall.

"I'm sorry," Logan apologized. "I couldn't help it."

Veronica smiled, obviously not upset. "For some reason, I can't find it in me to be upset," she said dryly.

Logan held out his hand to her. Veronica picked up her bag that she'd dropped during the kiss. Then she laced her fingers through his. Strolling down the hall, they had eyes only for each other. For all the new changes, it was obvious to the 09ers that Veronica Mars was still very much a part of Logan Echolls' world.

****** _*Chapter End********_

_ I didn't have a lot of people comment on the last chapter of the previous story, so I hope there are people out there that really want to read this. Let me know with a comment and/or kudos. Thanks! _


	2. The First Day of Senior Year

Weevil felt strange being at school without being surrounded by his boys. He walked Mac to her first class, trying to get use to the change. Not only did he not have his boys, but he had a girlfriend. One that he really liked, and one that wanted to be around him in public. It was a nice change.

"So I know our schedules are probably not the same," he remarked, pulling it out.

Mac looked at it. "No, but I have a free period. Maybe I can change my schedule to one of yours," she suggested. She glanced at his schedule and frowned. "Too bad you're not in beginning automotive. I could take that and learn how to change my oil!"

Weevil laughed. He glanced at her schedule. "Too bad you're not in beginning computers. I doubt they'd let me into advanced computer programming," he said dryly.

"Well, two of our classes are close together. That's something at least," she said, flashing her dimples at him.

"I am overwhelmed," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "I guess I'll see you at lunch."

"Can I come see you in your auto shop class? It's last period when I have my independent study, which is my free period. I get assigned a nine weeks project that I work on at my own pace," Mac said.

"Sure. The guys may be a little distracted though," he said, flashing her a flirtatious grin. The bell rang. "Will it be okay if I kiss you goodbye?"

Mac looked around at the students rushing to class. No one seemed to be paying them any attention. "Okay," she said nervously.

Weevil understood her hesitancy and kept the kiss light. He just enjoyed feeling close to her. When she smiled up at him with those blue eyes and that dimple, it did funny things to his insides. "I'll be waiting for you at lunch," he said.

"Where?" she asked. "I don't always eat with people. Usually a sandwich in the computer lab or something."

"Well, maybe a new tradition this last year?" he suggested, grinning. A social butterfly she was not. "I'll meet you after your fourth period class. Mine is just across the hall from yours."

Mac smiled happily and turned to go into her first period. It was odd having a boyfriend, but it made her feel good. Weevil was always surprising with his gentleness and consideration. It so didn't fit his tough, bad boy exterior. She kind of felt like she had this delicious secret. No one else knew what she knew about him.

Weevil headed into his first period class. Hector and a few of his former boys were in there. He nodded at them and sat down in the empty desk next to Hector.

"Good to see you, man," Hector said. "How's things?"

"Great. How about you?" Weevil asked, glancing at the PCHers, who were not trying to hide the fact that they were listening.

Hector shrugged. "No one misses Thumper that's for sure. He can't even make bail," Hector said with a grin.

"Poor guy," Weevil said with a smirk.

"So Weevil, what's with you and the 09er?" Carlos asked. "You're lookin' awfully chummy."

Carlos used to be a friend of Weevil's. He wasn't one to make waves because he mostly went with the flow. Weevil shouldn't be too surprised that he followed the majority who decided to go with Thumper. However, it still stung, and Weevil wasn't about to forget the betrayal.

Ignoring him, Weevil looked at Hector and said, "Tell your boys to not address me. I have no room in my life for disloyal cowards that don't have my back."

"Don't be like that, Weevil!" Jesus protested. He was sitting on Hector's other side in front of Carlos. A big man, he hadn't been there the day things went down between Weevil and Thumper. He had a job he refused to miss for anyone. Still, he hadn't called Weevil once or stopped by.

"Don't be like what? Don't be pissed 'cause the brothers that were supposed to have my back and trust me didn't?" Weevil asked. "Don't worry. I'm not pissed anymore. I just don't give a damn about any of you anymore 'cause you sure didn't get a damn about me. Except for Hector here."

"Everyone feels bad, bro, about what went down," Hector said. "We want you to come back."

"Can't. Wouldn't if I could," Weevil said. "Things have changed."

"Yeah, we saw you pull up with Echolls," Hector said.

"And your new compañera," Carlos added with a whistle.

The final bell ring. The teacher began to take roll. "I sold my bike," Weevil told Hector. "I'm done."

Hector looked sad at his revelation, but he nodded, resigned. He couldn't blame Weevil. It hadn't been right what had happened to him. Hector believed that the reason he had been picked to replace Weevil was because so many of the guys felt guilty over what happened to him. Weevil had always been one of his closest friends, and he hated that there was now a clear wall between them.

***** _*Lunch*_ *****

Veronica found Wallace sitting across from Hannah at a table in the courtyard. Wallace was telling her an animated story, and she was laughing at him.

"Is this a date or can anyone join?" she asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Hey, what kind of loser do you think I am?" Wallace asked in outrage as Veronica sat down next to him. "If this was a date, I'd at least spring for Micky D's!"

Hannah giggled at him. "I love a guy who knows how to plan!" she teased.

"So how's the first day going?" Veronica asked as she took the apple out of her sack.

"Not as good as yours," Wallace said with a grin. "Every where I turn I see people talking about you and Logan. Or Logan and his new pal, Weevil."

"The school has officially been thrown off its axis," Hannah agreed.

"It will get crazier when Meg's story gets out," Veronica said.

Mac and Weevil joined them. Mac sat next to Veronica with Weevil sitting on her other side. They greeted their friends.

"How's Neptune's favorite new couple?" Veronica asked with a grin.

"Ah, I think you and Logan will carry that title to the grave," Mac said. "No one is talking about us."

"Sure, they are. The rumors of Weevil's homosexuality have finally been put to rest," Logan said as he joined them. He sat across from Veronica. Weevil flipped him off, and he chuckled.

"Homosexual, my ass!" Weevil replied. "If they only knew how much time you take to get ready in the morning, people would be asking all _kinds_ of questions!"

Veronica looked over at him with interest. "Really? Logan is a primper? I feel a little funny dating a metrosexual," she said grinning across at him.

"Ha, ha! Metrosexual? I don't get weekly manicures!" he scoffed. "And we're dating? I'd forgotten." He ignored Veronica's momentarily pained expression. He wasn't happy with the space between them and wasn't going to pretend otherwise. He couldn't help but notice that she hadn't even saved him a seat next to her. Although she had returned his kiss this morning, things weren't back to normal between them.

"So you kiss all the girls like you did her this morning?" Mac asked, smiling.

"Only those that beg me," Logan said with a smirk.

"Hmmm. I think it may take some begging before these lips of mine are accessed again," Veronica said pointedly.

Logan gave her a scorching look but didn't reply. Wallace groaned. "Quit looking at her like that! It gives me the heeby-geebies!" he complained.

"You're just jealous 'cause you can't give any woman a smoldering look," Veronica told him with an elbow nudge to his side.

"Hey, I can smolder!" he insisted. The group burst out in laughter as he practiced his smolder on Hannah, who failed to be turned on and kept giggling at his attempts.

"Please, stop! Men everywhere are begging you," Logan said dryly.

Duncan and Meg join them. "Move over," Duncan ordered Logan.

"Well, then he can't smolder into V's eyes!" Wallace said, laughing.

Logan gave a disgruntled look because he really didn't want to be further away from Veronica, but he moved down until he was across from Mac. "I can share my smolder with Mac," he said, giving her a heated look.

Weevil did not appreciate it. "And I can share my fist and give you a black eye," Weevil said archly.

Mac laughed. This was a much different lunch that she'd had last year, but she was enjoying being surrounded by friends.

"How's people treating you?" Veronica asked Meg.

"It's not got out yet, so there's been nothing. A few comments over me being with Duncan. People want to know if we're back together or not," Meg replied.

"And what's your answer?" Veronica asked, grinning at the two of them.

Meg blushed as she nodded. "I decided to forgive Duncan for running back to you," Meg said smiling.

"He always was an idiot," Logan baldly declared.

Duncan elbowed him. "You're the idiot who managed to piss off enough people that they burned your house down!" he said.

His surprising slam startled everyone, and they looked at Logan to see how he'd react. He just grinned. "Very true," he said. "But I was thinking of redecorating anyway."

"Leave it to a spoiled 09er," Weevil said with a head shake.

"So when are they starting on your house?" Veronica asked him.

"Today the clean up crew should be getting started. I'll drive by after school and see," Logan said.

"So who ordered food?" Duncan asked.

"Pizza's on its way," Logan said. He looked over at Mac. "Yes, I ordered a vegetarian one for you."

She smiled. "You didn't have to do that. I brought my lunch," she said.

"Well, throw it away! You're in the big time, sweetheart. Only take out from now on!" Logan boasted airily.

"He loves throwing money away," Weevil said. "There's no stopping him."

"I love throwing Aaron's money away," Logan corrected. "Maybe I can bankrupt him."

Duncan's eyes grew dark at the mention of his sister's murderer. Meg noticed and looked over at Veronica beseechingly. "So, how's the rooming going?" Meg asked Veronica and Wallace.

"We're not roommates! I get the couch," Wallace complained.

"If you had those bunk beds in your room, I'd share," Veronica said with a grin.

"Like any teenager in Neptune has bunk beds," Wallace said with a scoff.

"All the cool kids do," Veronica said. Then she glanced over at Weevil. "In fact, the word on the street is Logan and Weevil share a really sweet set."

Logan's mouth fell open in surprise at her jab. Weevil was equally outraged. "Bullshit!" he exclaimed. "Logan does _not_ share a bedroom with me! He'd be on the couch if we didn't have an extra room. Not even my grandmother could make me give up my bed for him!"

The student body didn't know what to think about the new group that had formed as laughter kept breaking out at the table where Duncan Kane and Logan Echolls sat. The table wasn't in the usual 09er place, but it didn't escape anyone's notice that the rest of the 09ers sat in the nearby tables, consequently shifting where the 09ers were sitting. Wherever Logan and Duncan sat was considered 09er territory. However, the eclectic group that joined them gave all bystanders pause. Although Dick and Cole had informed all the 09ers that Weevil had saved Logan's life and had been the reason he wasn't in jail, there were many that were not happy about the change in dynamics. One in particular made her way to their table.

"So it is going to be Freaky Friday every day now?" Madison Sinclair asked, observing the group. She didn't understand what was happening and sneered at Veronica. It was all her fault. Lilly had allowed trash into their group, and now the trash was growing. She gave the gangbanger and weird purple streaked girl a dismissive glance.

"Well, Madison, since I heard you like to get your freak on with just about any guy who will buy you dinner, I guess you can join us. You'll fit right in," Logan said with a smirk.

"Whatever," she said with an eye roll. She looked at Meg. "So why did you quit the cheerleading squad?"

Meg exchanged a glance with Duncan. He gave her an encouraging nod. They had planned for this. Meg took a deep breath. "Actually, Madison, you can be the first to congratulate us. Duncan and I are expecting a baby, so cheerleading isn't a good idea," she revealed, trying to sound casual. When Madison gaped at her she continued. "We can't agree on a wedding date. Duncan wants it to be Christmas Eve. But who wants to be a fat bride, right?" Meg said cheerfully. "I want to wait until the weekend after graduation."

Her friends were listening in amazement. "Married? You're getting married?" Wallace asked in obvious surprise.

Veronica elbowed him, hoping to silence his questions. She thought the entire thing was a show. There was no way Madison Sinclair would be the first to know about her friends' engagement.

Meg nodded but ignored Wallace. "I know a teenage mom is so cliché, and my parents are going nuts," Meg admitted ruefully.

Madison was so shocked by the revelations that for once she had no reply. "Well, ah, congratulations," she said carefully. She wasn't stupid. There was no way she was going to alienate the king of the 09ers by insulting his chosen queen. Madison was just relieved it wasn't Veronica Mars.

"So I hope I can count on you to be one of my bridesmaids," Meg said brightly.

Veronica choked on her soda at that announcement, and Wallace pounded her on the back.

Logan was biting his lip hard, trying to laugh. He looked at Veronica, whose eyes danced with merriment.

Madison finally smiled happily. "Really? I'd love to!" she said excitedly. "I hope you'll join me for lunch and tell me all about how he proposed."

"Well, I promised Duncan that I'd have lunch with him today, but how about I come by your place this evening after dinner?" Meg suggested. "My parents are not very happy with me these days, as you can imagine, so it's probably not a good idea for you to come over."

Madison had dealt more than once with Meg's ultra conservative parents, so she didn't have to be told twice. "Come over anytime you want. I'm dying to hear everything!" Madison said with a smile. She waved and walked off.

"So there's a wedding now?" Logan asked Duncan.

Duncan gave him a sheepish look. "Well, Meg and I figured that the best way to avoid all the viciousness was to imply that there's a wedding. By the time the baby is here, we'll be old news," he said.

Wallace frowned. "So there's not going to be a wedding?" he asked.

"Ask Meg. I think it's a good idea," Duncan said. "It's the best way to stop her parents from taking control. My parents would rather their grandchild be born in wedlock, but they're not pressuring me."

"Of course not. That'd mean they'd actually have to criticize their perfect son," Veronica mocked.

"He is pretty perfect," Logan said grinning. "I was always so bad 'cause I knew there was no way I could measure up to his awesomeness."

"I hope you're kidding," Weevil said in disgust. Logan just grinned at him.

"What's with that Madison as your bridesmaid bit?" Veronica asked Meg. "A bit much, don't you think?"

"We've been friends my entire life. I know she can be mean, but she's always nice to me for the most part. I figured it'd be the best way to control the rumors. If she's clearly on my side, they'll be less viciousness," Meg said sagely.

"Very clever," Veronica said in admiration.

"And just imagine her face when Meg tells her you're the Maid of Honor!" Duncan said with a grin.

They were interrupted by the arrival of their food. After the pieces were dished out, Mac looked around and frowned. "Where's Dick?" she asked Logan.

"Dick's momma's in town, so he's probably trashed somewhere trying to recover," Logan said. "He's not big on first days of school. Normally, he and I just go surfing."

"So you blew him off?" Mac asked in disapproval.

"It's not like it was a date. I told him I wanted to see Veronica. He said it was cool. I said goodbye," Logan said with a shrug.

Mac frowned at him but didn't say anything. "I'll go see him after school, okay?" he said.

She smiled at him. "Thank you. He can't be left too long by himself. He's upset, and there's no telling what he may do," Mac said.

****** _Dick******_

The man in question was at the beach. He had on his wetsuit and was planning to hit the waves. However, he was brooding and drinking a beer from the six pack that he'd brought. Normally, Dick didn't mix alcohol with surfing, but things just sucked so badly. He thought about last night.

_Flashback:_

_True to her word, his mother had went to see Cassidy. Dick went with her because ge didn't trust her not to upset his brother. It made Dick angry to see how happy her visit made Cassidy. Looking at his brother's smiling face, Dick just knew that if their mother hadn't abandoned them, none of the events of the past weeks would've went down. A mother is suppose to watch out for her children; a normal mother would want to be around them. The fact that their mother thought living in another country with her current husband was a good idea pissed Dick off. And now she thought it'd be okay to take Dick's only family and leave him all alone._

_Dick worked hard during the visit to keep his feelings from his brother. He didn't want to add anymore guilt to his brother than he already felt. He laughed and told funny stories, keeping the visit light and fun. His mother took him out to dinner afterward acting like Cassidy was just at a summer camp or something. She didn't even notice when Dick said very little._

_That morning, Dick woke up to the smell of bacon. His mom had cooked him breakfast, but hber kind gesture pissed him off. Dick felt like she was rubbing it in, reminding him of what he didn't have. Did she expect him to say thank you? What about all the breakfasts she didn't cook for? Or all those she had no plans to be a part of in the future? Would she give him a thought at all once she was back with her new family?_

_End of Flashback_

Dick sat on the beach, staring morosely out at the waves. He emptied the beer and grabbed another. He didn't understand why mothers had to suck so much in this town. He'd seen enough movies and TV shows to know that wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Logan's mother killed herself and left poor Logan with that monster of a father. Dick figured Logan had to know she must not have loved him all that much. Duncan's mother had ice water in her veins. She was good to Duncan, but Dick remembered more than once Lilly fighting with her or causing a scene over her. Lilly had hated her mother. Ronnie's mom was a drunk who ran off and left her when things fell apart. Even Weevil's mom wasn't around. Dick didn't know why Weevil was being raised by his grandmother, but he figured it had something to do with his mother not caring that much about him. Only Mac and Wallace seemed to have mothers that actually cared about them. Wallace was new to Neptune, so Dick didn't think he counted. Neptune's mothers were mostly a joke. Not once during dinner had his mother ask him to go back with her. He was already in her rearview mirror. Of course, it wasn't like Dick would go, but it would've been nice to be asked, to know that she cared enough about his welfare to ask.

Dick finished off the beer in one long swallow and got to his feet. He wasn't drunk. Just a nice buzz going on. He bent down and picked up his board. It didn't take him long to paddle out. Surfing was the only thing in his life that he knew he was good at. He was one with the water, the waves. This was his church, and it never let him down. He rode a beaut of a wave and let the familiar excitement push him away from his dark place. The water was like a cleansing balm to his soul. When he lost his balance and the waves crashed over him, he was reminded that the ocean was also a stern parent that didn't mind doling out punishment to those that didn't take her seriously.

Dick popped up. One day he might be taken out by a wave, but not this day. He climbed back on his board, feeling exhilarated. The ocean could be a harsh mistress, but she never left him unsatisfied or disappointed.

****** _Chapter End******_

_Unlike Rob Thomas, I believe in DEVELOPING the supporting characters and not keeping them static. I hope you appreciate it! ;) Thanks for reading._


	3. Worth the Wait

****** _Still the First Day of School******_

Weevil went into his sixth period world history class and sat down in the back. One more class until he made it to his final class. He loved ending the day in his shop class with friends and a problem he could always solve. Of course, he realized that there were a few less friends now than before. However, he'd also somehow gained a few in unexpected places. One entered the class now.

"Well, it seems you and I can't keep from tripping over one another," Logan said as he sat down in the seat next to Weevil.

"You're like a bad penny. You keep showing up," Weevil complained.

"A lucky penny for you, dude! Without me, you'd be completely friendless!" Logan said with a smirk. "You sold your bike and left behind your loser friends, remember?"

"They weren't losers," Weevil said grimly. "Just not trustworthy anymore."

"Well, you can have Dick. He's always good for a laugh or two," Logan said.

"Lucky me," Weevil said with an eye roll.

"Speaking of Dick, I need to go check up on him after school. You think you can get Mac to give you a ride home?" Logan asked.

"Sure. No problem," Weevil said. "I'd much rather spend time with her anyway!"

"I bet," Logan said with a grin. Then his eyes clouded over as he thought about his own girlfriend. "I'd rather spend time with Veronica myself."

"What's going on with you two? You were making out this morning, but you weren't sitting with her at lunch," Weevil said.

"Hell if I know. The woman likes to keep me on my toes," Logan said. "She's still trying to work through the Cassidy stuff. It's stirred up all those ugly feelings and brought back what an ass I was."

"You were definitely an ass," Weevil agreed, grinning.

"She says we're not broken up, but she also is blowing hot and cold as you've seen for yourself," Logan said with a frown.

"Well, if I were you, I wouldn't let it go on for long," Weevil advised. "V's more stubborn and vengeful than most. Let her brood too long about stuff and there's not tellin' what idea may stick in her head."

"Good point," Logan said. Their teacher came in and began to call roll.

After history, Weevil went to his next class. So far it seemed only his math class would present much of a challenge. Since his girlfriend was a brainiac, he figured he should be okay. He smiled. He never thought he'd be into a girl so smart, but she wasn't a flashy know-it-all like some. Unlike even Veronica or Logan, she never made a point of making sure everyone knew she was the smartest person in the room. Mainly because she didn't see herself as that. Nor did she see people based on their IQ's. If she did, he didn't think they'd work for long.

Hector and several of his former boys were in his shop class. He decided he couldn't keep ignoring them, but a bit of aloofness wouldn't hurt. He wasn't going to let their betrayal go so easily. Nor was he sure his old life as a part of their gang held much appeal. He couldn't see Mac wanting to date him if he was still a part of the PCHers. For the first time, he really cared what someone else thought about him—her opinion mattered.

Their teacher didn't waste time and had them working on a remodel right away. When class was almost over, he looked up and saw Mac standing in the corner. Somehow, her presence hadn't registered with the rest of the guys. She looked nervous and unsure of herself. He knew coming to his class was an act of boldness that didn't come easy to her. Smiling, he walked toward her, and she looked relieved.

"Don't be nervous. I told you it was okay if you came by," he said. "I'm a bit on the dirty side right now, though." He held up his hands.

"That's okay. I'm not overly comfortable with PDA," she said with a shy smile.

"You might have to either get over that or quit lookin' so adorable," he said with a flirtatious smile.

"Yo! Mac!" Hector said, coming toward her. "Did you want to take shop?"

Mac laughed. "Well, if this was a beginning level, I may consider it. I have a study period this hour, so I'll probably come by sometimes if that's okay," she said.

"Of course. Pretty girls are always welcome," he said with a grin.

Mac blushed at his compliment. She wasn't used to any guys noticing her, but it seemed her life had changed a lot. Hector didn't stay but wandered off. "How's your day gone?" she asked.

"Good. Logan's in my history class. My math class may give me some problems. I just don't get algebra. Never have," he said. "Already have homework."

"I can help you. It's pretty easy for me," she offered.

"I was hoping you'd say that," he said, smiling. "My grandmother will be very happy if I manage to graduate this year."

"So will I," she said dryly.

He chuckled. "Do you think you can give me a ride home? Logan wanted to go check on his boyfriend after school," he said.

Mac looked puzzled until she realized who Weevil was probably talking about. "Dick? Oh, that's good. I was worried about him. I was thinking of going to check on him myself," she said.

Weevil's eyes darkened and he frowned. "Not a good idea, babe. He's in a bad place. It's better if you let Logan and his friends be there for him. He's a guy and not the smartest one. He could easily get the wrong idea," Weevil said.

Mac frowned. "He's my friend, and he's hurting. I don't have a lot of friends. I want to help him," she said.

Weevil sighed. He knew he couldn't push it, so he shrugged. "Okay. I know I can't tell you what to do. I just wish that you'd not push with him. I don't like the idea," he admitted. "I'm going to go clean up before the bell rings. I'll be right back."

Mac nodded and thought about what he said. She had a hard time picturing Dick Casablancas liking her as more than a friend. However, she never would've dreamed that a guy like Weevil would like her either. Maybe he was right. She did not want to be caught up in some love triangle cliché.

When the school day was over, Weevil grabbed her bag and slung it over his shoulder and took her hand. They stopped at his locker.

"Why don't you have a backpack for your schoolbooks?" Mac wondered.

"I do. I have yours," he said grinning as he put his math book and spiral notebook in her bag. He zipped it up, threw it back onto his shoulder, and grabbed her hand again.

Mac couldn't help but smile back at him.

Logan waved at them as they walked by. He had decided Weevil was right. Time to corner his little bobcat and brave her sharp claws. He found her at her locker with Wallace.

"Coach has called a special meeting, so I gotta go," Wallace was saying.

"Do you need me to wait for you?" Veronica asked.

"Nah. I can get one of the guys to take me home," Wallace said.

He nodded at Logan who had leaned against the locker next to Veronica. "Thought I'd walk you to your car," Logan said to her.

"And here I thought I've been walking pretty good all these years without your aid," she said with a grin.

Logan, however, was feeling more sensitive than normal with her and didn't smile. "Okay then," he said as she watched a mask of cold indifference fall on his face. He turned to walk away.

She sighed and slammed her locker shut. Children of actors were just so damn sensitive. She quickly caught up to him and grabbed his hand. "Hey, I was just teasing," she said, tugging him to a stop. She kept a hold of his hand. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, Veronica. You tell me. I don't know how to handle this limbo you've got us in. You return my kiss this morning, but at lunch you couldn't be bothered to even save me a seat next to you. I want a girlfriend. Not someone who doesn't want to be with me. I can find other girls to make-out with you know," he said. As soon as those words came out of his mouth, he regretted it.

Her eyes flashed fire. "Well, then don't let me keep you," she said frostily. She let go of his hand and marched off with her head held high.

He chased after her. They were outside the school doors. He got in front of her to halt her progress. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that!" he assured her.

"Then why did you say it?" she asked angrily.

"Because you make me crazy!" he exclaimed in frustration, running his hand through his hair. His loud remarks caused a few students to glance their way. Some lingered to see if the new IT couple was going to implode. He glanced at their audience and lowered his voice. "I'm sorry. I don't want to fight. I just don't like this, Veronica. I don't have a pause button. You finally tell me that you love me, and then you turn around and say that you need space. I wanna be there for you and be what you need, but this is making me miserable."

Veronica noticed their audience, too, and said, "Let's take this to your car." They walked in silence to his Xterra. He opened the passenger door for her, and she got in. Then he went around to the driver's side and climbed inside.

"Look, I'm not trying to jerk you around," Veronica said.

"I don't think space solves anything," Logan said. "It just makes it easier to drift further apart."

Veronica gave him a considering look. "Maybe. I just am not ready to take things further," she said looking away from him.

Logan frowned. "What do you mean further? Did you not mean it when you said that you loved me? You wanna take it back?" he asked.

She looked back at him and shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant. I meant sex. I'm not ready to have sex with you," she clarified.

Logan felt relieved—this he could handle. He reached out and took her hand. "Veronica, I don't plan on pressuring you to do anything you don't want to do," he said.

"That's just it. I want to. Sometimes, I want to so badly I can't sleep at night. The times we've been close have been the best times in my life, but I just don't think I'm ready to have sex," she admitted, feeling embarrassed at the confession.

"I love being close to you, too, but I can control myself, Veronica. If it's that important to you, I'll try to be less seductive," he said with a teasing grin.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right," she said.

"I'm serious, though. I'm not going to seduce you into sex until you say the words," he said. "Not until I hear you say: 'Logan, you sex god, have your wicked way with me!'" He imitated her in a dramatically silly fashion.

"Now you're being ridiculous!" she said, but she was smiling.

"Or you can say: 'Logan, baby, give it to me good!' or my personal favorite: 'Make love to me, stud muffin!'"

"I think I just threw up a little in my mouth!" Veronica said, trying not to laugh.

He smirked, knowing she was amused and not turned off. "Seriously, tell me when it changes. If you feel ready, just tell me. I love you, and I don't want you to be afraid to be alone with me," he said. "I can wait until the time is right for you."

Veronica felt relieved to hear his assurance. She gave him a coy look. "We're alone right now," she observed.

"Yes, we are," he said with a smile.

"So?" she asked, trying to give him a hint.

"So what?" he asked. "Use your words, Veronica."

She stuck out her tongue. Then she said, "Logan, you can kiss me."

He put his hand on his chin as if contemplating her suggestion. He laughed at her look of outrage. Then he leaned over and kissed her. He tried to keep it light, but it was impossible with her. The heat that was always between them flared hot. In no time, the kiss turned deep and wet. Finally, Veronica broke it off, gasping for air. "God! You do that too well!" she complained.

"Lots of practice," he replied with a smirk.

"Don't remind me!" she scolded in annoyance. She didn't like to think about how much more experienced he was or who had trained him so well.

"You're pretty good yourself. With practice, you could go pro!" he teased. He leaned forward and kissed her neck, causing her to sigh in pleasure, the outrage at his tease quickly forgotten. Then his lips moved back to hers and the kissing resumed.

***** _*Weevil and Mac*_ ******

There was some more kissing going on in Mac's tiny bug car. She pulled up to Weevil's house. Before she could get out, he grabbed her hand. "Not so fast. My brothers will be home soon, and I might not get a chance to do this," he said as he leaned closer and kissed her.

Mac didn't think she was ever going to get used to kissing him. He didn't try to overwhelm with passion, but she could still tell he felt a lot. She appreciated his restraint. He pulled back and smiled at her. "I like kissing you," he said.

"I like it, too. I'm sorry that's all we're doing," she said, giving him a shy smile.

"There's a right time for everything. You're worth waiting for," he said, piercing her with his heated gaze.

This time it was Mac that initiated the kiss. She loved the way he made her feel. No guy had ever made her feel this way. They became so lost in the feel and taste of one another that they lost track of time. The sound of giggling broke through the haze of desire that Mac was caught up in. She broke off the kiss and gasped in horror when she realized they had an audience.

"Oh, God!" she exclaimed moving her head down.

Weevil turned his head and saw his two little brothers laughing and making faces at him. The loud kissing noises Jordan was making could be heard through the window. His grandmother yelled for them from the front porch, and they ran off. Their laughter trailing in their wake.

"Sorry about that!" he said. He put his hand on one of her now red cheeks. "Your blush is so adorable!"

Mac felt her face grow even hotter. "Now I can't go into your house! I'm so embarrassed! What must your grandmother be thinking!" she moaned.

"She's thinking, 'It's so nice for my grandson to be dating a nice girl who refuses to kiss him in his bedroom!'" Weevil said with a grin.

Mac couldn't help but laugh. "We should go in and start on your math. Then maybe your grandmother will continue to think good things about me," she said.

"Okay, if we must," he said. But he leaned over and gave her one last kiss. "Every time I see that dimple, I want to kiss you." It was true—the dimple made him crazy.

She flashed it again and opened her car door and got out. Weevil sighed. The last girl he'd been with had just been a hook up, and before that, it had been Lilly Kane. He hadn't much experience being anyone's boyfriend. He hoped that he didn't blow this because he knew Mac was something special.

****** _The Casabalancas*_ ******

Logan saw a car he didn't recognize at Dick's, so he rang the doorbell. Dick's mother Betina answered it. "Hello, Logan. How have you been?" she asked pleasantly.

"Well, let's see. Since the last time I saw you, my girlfriend was murdered, and my mom killed herself; I was attacked by gangbangers and left to die in my burning house; and now I live with my housekeeper because my father's in jail for my girlfriend's murder, and my house burned to the ground," Logan recited cheerfully. "So basically, I'm good. And you?"

Betina blinked at him, a bit taken aback by his recitation. "I was sorry to hear about your poor mother. Did you get my flowers I sent?" she asked, choosing to respond to only one of his comments.

"Yes, thanks. It was nice of you," Logan said politely. Of course, he had no idea who had sent flowers. He hadn't cared then nor did he now. Flowers to put on an empty grave never made much sense to him or brought him much solace. "Is Dick here?"

"Yeah, he's up in his room, I believe," she said. "Are you ready for school to start?"

Logan saw no point in telling Dick's mother that it had started already. "Can't wait!" he said with the happy excitement parents always approved of. Then he headed to the staircase. Taking them two steps at a time, he got to the top and went down the hall to Dick's room.

He knocked and opened it without waiting for Dick to respond. He found Dick on the bed staring at the ceiling. Not the best omen. "Hey, buddy. How's things going?" he asked.

Dick sat up. "Okay, I guess. Went surfing. How was the first day?" he asked.

"Good. Veronica and I made some headway. I think she's going to quit keeping so much distance between us," Logan said.

"Cool," Dick said with a distracted air.

"So how's your brother? What's going on with your mom? Is she sticking around?" Logan asked.

"Sticking around and actually caring about me? Doubtful," Dick said bitterly.

Bitterness was normally Logan's staple. He was more than a little surprised to hear it tinging Dick's words. "Hey, she cares, dude. At least more than mine did," Logan pointed out. "She visits and calls sometimes."

"You know it's some twisted shit when you bring up your mom's suicide to try and make me feel better, dude," Dick said, shaking his head. "That should be like not allowed or something. Mother's suck. That's what I've decided. Only Wallace and Mackie have good mothers. But Wallace isn't from here, so he doesn't count."

"It's true that some people are luckier in the parent department than others. Did she go see Beaver?" Logan asked.

Dick nodded. "Yeah. He was so happy to see her. It really pissed me off. Just one lousy visit made him so happy. I can't help but be pissed. If she'd been around more, maybe he wouldn't have spent so much time plotting mass murder," Dick said in disgust.

"True. But it's always easy to be happy to see people you know aren't staying around long enough to make you sick of them," he pointed out.

"She wants to take him away from me," Dick shared, looking as miserable as Logan had ever seen him.

"She said that?" Logan asked in dismay. He wasn't attached to Trina, but he knew Dick would be lost without his little brother. Hell, Logan liked Dick better with Beaver. Saved him from having to be the only one keeping Dick out of trouble.

Dick nodded. "And she didn't seem to care that it'd leave me here in this house all alone," he said in disgust.

"Well, screw her!" Logan said hotly. "You tell her she's not going to come take your brother away from you. Tell her to go to hell!"

"I want to, dude, but then I got to thinking maybe it's what Cassidy needs. Maybe he needs to be away from here," Dick said woefully.

Logan realized Dick may have a point. There had to be another solution. "What about his charges? Can he even leave the state—let alone the country?" Logan asked.

Dick brightened. "Good point. I hadn't thought of that," Dick said.

"And you should talk to your brother. Find out if he really wants to leave you or not. This is your last year of school. Maybe he'll stick around until you graduate," Logan said. "I mean if he knows you really want him to."

"Yeah, maybe," Dick said. "I guess, I'm just afraid of messing him up more than I already have."

"Well, if Veronica can get over all the shit I put her through, then I'm sure your brother can. You're family. You're the only brother he gots," Logan said.

Dick felt better thinking about that. "I hope you're right. Thanks," Dick said.

"You going to come to class tomorrow? Mac was worried about you," Logan said.

Dick brightened. "She was?" he asked in surprise.

"If I didn't promise to come check on you, I'm sure she would've," Logan said.

"She's pretty cool," Dick said.

"Oh, and before Madison calls you with the good news, I should tell you that the news about Meg being pregnant is out," Logan shared.

"It wasn't me! I swear!" Dick promised.

Logan laughed. "Dude, I know. It was Meg. She decided to tell Madison. You missed it. It was a work of genius," Logan said with admiration. "She told Madison about the baby and that her and Duncan were engaged all in one breath. Then she asked Madison to be a bridesmaid before Madison could even react."

Dick's eyes widened in surprise. "They're getting married?" he asked. "For real?"

"Well, that remains to be seen, but it's their story until Meg decides. She wants to keep the gossip down and keep Madison from being too vile. This was a good way. She's not going to go slamming the wedding party she's a part of or taking pot shots at Meg behind her back this way," Logan said. "Plus, it'll keep Meg's parents happy or at least keep then off her back so much."

"Smart," Dick agreed, finally smiling. "Glad the news is out. I hate keeping secrets. I'm waiting for it to get out about Cassidy. "

"It won't. None of us are going to go blabbing about it. Since he's a minor, they don't print it in the papers like other court stuff," Logan said.

"I hope you're right," Dick said.

"You want to come over for dinner? Lettie's dinners are worth their weight in gold," Logan said.

"Nah. Not in the mood to deal with Weevil. Some other time, maybe. Mom cooked breakfast this morning, so she may be planning on dinner," Dick said.

"When's she leaving?" Logan asked.

"Beats me. I guess I'll know more by the end of the week. They should have it figured out about Cassidy by then. I think his next court date is Friday," Dick shared. He really hoped they wouldn't let his brother leave the country. Then again, what if they made him go to jail? Dick didn't think his brother would handle jail very well.

"Don't worry so much. Come to class tomorrow and focus on other things," Logan advised. He didn't like seeing his always chipper and happy friend so down.

"Okay," Dick said nodding. It couldn't be worse than staying home brooding.

Logan left Dick's feeling like he'd accomplished something. He just hoped he was right about what he said. Surely, Cassidy wouldn't leave the country with his mother. If that happened, Logan would say goodbye to all Lettie's great food because there was no way Logan would let one of his best friends live alone in such a big house. Logan knew better than anyone what it felt like to feel like you had no one.

***** _*Chapter End**_ *****

_Did you like this? Leave a comment and let me know. Thank you!_


	4. A New Day Brings New Problem

******* _The Next Day*******_

Logan got Veronica to agree to let him pick her up for school. She climbed into his Xterra and leaned in to give him a kiss. "Good morning," she said smiling.

"Now this is the way every morning should start!" Logan said with a grin.

"If you behave yourself, it just may," Veronica said, giving him a coy glance.

They walked into school holding hands, and the school took notice. Veronica cynically noted the smiles and waves she was on the receiving end of. What a contrast from last year when people either went out of their way to avoid her or pretended she wasn't there. Sometimes, she'd had real sympathy for The Invisible Man. It eventually didn't bother her, and she made it not matter. However, the first few months after the school turned against her, her feelings were still tender. Bleeding raw from Lilly's violent death, she was defenseless against the attacks in those first few weeks and months. It was only after Shelly Pomroy's party that she decided to quit being a victim. Now she found it hard to stomach the hypocrisy.

"Hey, Logan. Veronica. What's up?" Luke asked as he exchanged fist bumps with Logan.

Here was a perfect example. Veronica had always liked Luke when she and Duncan were dating. He seemed less of a jerk than some of the guys in Duncan's group. However, he was the first to follow Logan's lead their sophomore year. Even Dick hadn't been as quick to cut her.

Logan noticed Veronica's silence as he chatted with Luke a few moments. When John joined them, Veronica had enough. She wandered off and found her own locker. She was getting out her books when she spotted Mac at her locker a bit further away. Weevil was doing the lean and flirt thing guys were so good at doing. Veronica chuckled to see that Mac wasn't any less immune to it than Veronica. She was smiling up at Weevil, obviously enjoying him. It still surprised her to see them together. They were an unlikely couple, yet they made sense in some weird way.

Wallace appeared. He looked like his best friend had died. Since Veronica was still very much alive and well, she said, "What's wrong?"

"I just got kicked off the basketball team!" Wallace said hitting his fist on the locker.

"What?" she asked in shocked.

"I flunked the drug test. Me and a few others," Wallace said.

"You flunked a drug test? Are you insane? What were you thinking!" Veronica scolded.

"I don't do drugs, Veronica! You should know that by now! I have no idea how I managed to fail the drug test. My mom's going to kill me!" Wallace said bagging his head against his locker.

"How did this happen?" Veronica asked.

"I don't know. One guy who everyone knows is a pothead managed to pass it, but me and four other athletes managed to fail it," Wallace said. He opened his locker and got out his books.

"None of the ones who failed it are into drugs?" Veronica asked.

"No. Kelvin, one of the guys, is really pissed. Told me I should get you to fix this," Wallace said.

"Me?" she asked.

"'You friends with that P.I. chick, right? Make her fix this!' were his instructions," Wallace said, smiling slightly for the first time.

"So who did you piss off lately?" Veronica asked.

"Me? Everyone loves me!" he insisted.

"Give me the names of the ones who failed the drug test at lunch, and we'll get to the bottom of this. Dad wants me to lay off the P.I. stuff, but I think for you, I can make an exception," Veronica said.

"Gee, I'm touched by your generosity," Wallace said. "I figure someone framed me for one of two reasons."

"What's those?" Veronica asked.

"One, they are green with envy of my wicked skills on the floor and want more playing time or are dating a guy who wants more playing time. But why would a team player sabotage their own team?" Wallace pointed out.

"Good point. It could be someone that hates you more than they care about the team. Who have you pissed off lately?" she asked.

"Superfly, that's your M.O. Not mine. Remember?" Wallace said with a grin.

"I'm not the one getting my drug test tampered with," Veronica pointed out.

"Well, there is also everyone that hates you, which means me by association," Wallace said smugly.

Veronica had to acknowledge the truth of that statement. Logan joined them. "Hey, why did you disappear?" he asked.

"Because your friends are lame and mine are not," she said simply. "Although Stoner here did just fail a drug test."

"Oh, really?" Logan asked in surprise.

"Total frame job! V's going to find the guilty party," he said.

"I'm on it," she said nodding.

"So can I interview you for my next newspaper assignment? Drugs on campus as a story wouldn't be nearly as interesting as a frame job," Logan said smiling.

"Totally!" Wallace said.

The warning bell rang ending their discussion, and they headed to their perspective classes.

******* _Lunch*******_

Mac was walking out to join her friends and Weevil for lunch when she spotted Dick. "Hey!" she called out, getting his attention.

He paused and waited for her to catch up. "Hey," he said.

"Are you going to join us for lunch?" Mac asked.

"I guess. Nowhere else to go," he said with a shrug. He took a sip of the water bottle he was carrying.

"How are you doing? How's Cassidy?" she asked.

"Do you care?" he asked bluntly.

Mac frowned. "Of course, I care! Why would you say such a thing?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry. It's just been kind of crappy. My mom's in town, and she's talking about taking Cassidy away. She lives in like another country. She doesn't seem concerned about leaving me with no family at all," Dick said glumly.

Mac reached out and put a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Dick. You should talk to her. Let her know how you feel," she encouraged.

"It won't do no good. She'll just go on about it not being about me but Cassidy. Yada, yada," he said.

"Can anyone go visit your brother or just family?" she asked.

"I guess anyone. They have open visiting hours between four and six during the week," he said.

"Do you think you could take me tomorrow after school?" she asked.

"I suppose. If you're sure, you want to," Dick said doubtfully.

"Do you think he'd be upset or happy to see me?" she asked as they sat down at a table.

"Both probably," Dick said.

Weevil came out to the quad to look for Mac. He wasn't happy to see her sitting across from Dick. He approached and sat down next to her. "Hey," he said. He nodded at Dick.

"Hi," she said, giving him a sweet smile that served to mollify him somewhat.

"Hey," Dick said. "So what are you guys in the mood for?"

Duncan appeared. "I already ordered. Meg had a craving for noodles, so it's Chinese today," he said. "I ordered a variety of stuff, so don't worry."

Weevil got out his wallet. "How much do we owe you?" he asked.

Duncan gave a careless shrug. "I don't pay for anything. My dad does. He's got plenty to spare. Don't worry about it," he said.

Weevil may have been more uncomfortable if he wasn't used to Logan's same careless attitude toward money. When you had more than you knew what to do with, it was easy to be so generous.

"Thanks," he said. He watched Dick take a long drink out of his water bottle. He gave him a close look and smirked. Figures. "Thirsty today?"

"You know it," Dick replied, snickering.

Weevil had to laugh. "Vodka?" he inquired. It was a clear liquor, easy to replace the water with.

"The finest," Dick said, grinning.

"You brought alcohol to school, Dick? That's not a good idea! You could get suspended!" Mac said in concern.

"Yeah, right! 09ers never get busted for shit, Mackie," Dick said.

"Drinking's not the way to handle what's going on in your life, Dick," Mac advised.

Logan and Veronica appeared, and Veronica sat next to Mac. Logan squeezed in next to her and looked over at Dick. "Is there food coming?" he asked.

"Yes. Meg and I took care of it," he said.

"So what have we missed?" Logan asked.

"Mackie here is trying to lecture me about bringing alcohol to school," Dick said with a gleeful grin. "She's worried I might get suspended."

Logan leaned forward and looked at Mac. "Not going to happen. They might take his alcohol from him but that's about it," Logan said. "Now me. It might be a different story. Last year, I could do no wrong, but now that dear dad is revealed as a murdering fiend, I may not have the same pull. I'm basically an orphan."

"True," Dick said. "Well, Mom's talking about taking Cassidy back with her, so I really _will_ be like an orphan. Stuck in that giant house all by my lonesome. Maybe you can come live with me."

"Maybe. But I'd miss Lettie's cooking," Logan said, flashing Weevil a knowing smile.

"She is the best," he agreed.

"We can like hire her or something," Dick suggested.

Weevil rolled his eyes. He knew the guy wasn't trying to be insulting, but he still bugged Weevil. However, he'd had a crappy deal lately, so Weevil didn't take offense.

"I can't hire her, Dick. That'd be like an ass thing to do after she's like treated me like her family," Logan explained.

Dick frowned, looking disappointed.

Mac found herself feeling both sympathy and concern for him. He looked so lost and lonely. "I'm sure Logan can stay a night with you, though, on the weekends. Right, Logan?" she said, giving Logan a pointed look.

"Absolutely, dude!" Logan quickly agreed. He whispered to Veronica, "Lots of empty rooms to be alone with you in."

"You'd have to be awfully good for a long time to deserve that," she said back, giving him a saucy grin.

"Hey, I'm good at all kinds of things," he said with a suggestive leer.

"Not the kind of good I was referring to," she said.

"So what time is your shift at the Hut today?" Logan asked.

"Three to seven," she replied.

"Can I take you out to dinner?" he asked.

"On a school night? I don't know how Alicia will feel about that," she said with a frown.

"Even if I have you home by like nine?" he said hopefully.

"Okay, it's a date. I'll send her a text and see if she's okay with it," Veronica said, getting out her phone.

Wallace and Hannah sat in the table next to them.

"Wallace, is it true that you got kicked off the basketball team?" Meg asked.

Wallace groaned. "It's already around school? That's just great!" he bemoaned.

"I don't see what the problem is. You can insist on another test, right?" Hannah asked.

"That's not how it works," Wallace said.

Veronica got up and sat next to him. "That's how it'd work if you were an 09er. Hannah, things are different for us mere mortals," she said. "Do you have the list?" He handed it to her, and she glanced down at it. "Just what I thought. Not one 09er on the list."

Hannah glanced at it. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence," she said.

"She's sweet but naïve," Veronica said to Wallace.

He grinned and threw his arm around Hannah. "True, but I kind of like her," he said.

"Only kind of?" she asked with a pout.

He planted a quick kiss on her pouty lips. "Maybe more than a little," he admitted. She gave him a pleased smile.

"I'll talk to some of the girls on the squad," Meg said. "I didn't get tested since I drop the cheerleading team, but maybe someone knows something."

"We'll figure this out. Let me know if you hear anything," Veronica told Meg. "Don't worry. We'll get to the bottom of this."

The delivery guy showed up with their lunch. Veronica moved and sat back next to Logan while Duncan and Meg moved and sat next to Wallace and Hannah. Meg and she begin discussing the squad as Luke sat down next to Duncan and started chatting with him.

"When does Cassidy go to court again?" Mac asked.

"It's one day this week. I think Thursday or Friday," Dick said absently.

"Are you going to be there?" Mac asked. "Do you want one of us to go with you?"

"Yeah, we can go," Logan said, not thinking Veronica might not appreciate his open support of her rapist. She tensed next to him but said nothing.

Weevil looked over at her, though. He knew she couldn't be happy that her best girlfriend and her boyfriend wanted to support the man who raped her. He was a bit disgusted with them both. "Yeah, why don't you go show some support for the guy who raped Veronica. That sounds like a great move," he said sourly.

Mac looked at him in dismay. Then she turned and gave Veronica a guilty look. "I'm sorry! I didn't think!" she exclaimed with regret.

"He didn't rape Veronica! She wasn't forced. He's not some rapist pervert! She was coming on to everyone! I put him in that room! If anyone should be blamed, it should be me!" he said hotly. "That coach screwed up his head!"

"Don't worry, Dick, I do blame you," Veronica said in disgust. She got up and moved to sit next to Wallace.

Weevil was surprised when Mac reached out and took his hand. He thought she would be upset with him for reminding everyone of Cassidy's crime. However, Mac turned to him for support. "I don't know how I'm supposed to feel," she said quietly.

Both Dick and Weevil could hear her, however. "You feel however the hell you want to feel, Mackie," Dick said, glaring over at Veronica.

"That's enough, Dick. You and I both carry some blame, but your brother did the deed. No one forced him," Logan pointed out. "But we're all friends, and we gotta find a way to get past this." He got up and went to Veronica.

Dick drained his vodka. "I don't need to get past a damn thing," he said. He got up and left, heading toward the parking lot.

Mac felt like crying. She forgot for one moment that Cassidy had done something truly horrendous. He had planned on doing even more, yet some part of her had a really hard time seeing Cassidy that way.

Weevil put his arm around her. "You have a big heart. V knows that," he said, trying to make her feel better.

"I just feel so bad for all three of them. I don't know what to do," she admitted.

"Dick is feeling a lot of guilt—as he should—so he's going to be hostile," Weevil said. "If one of my little brothers did what Cassidy did, I'd kick their ass, but I'd feel responsible, too. Not that I would throw them into a room with a half comatose girl and tell one of them to have their way with her." His disgust for Dick was plain.

Mac nodded. "Yeah, I don't get Dick. Or most of the 09ers. It's like they live in this world the rest of us can't touch. It really gives them a messed-up view of the world, but I can't help but feel for Dick. I think there's a good guy there inside of him. I've seen glimpses," she said.

"Maybe. Logan likes the guy a lot," Weevil said with a shrug. "But he's not your problem. He's Logan's."

Mac knew Weevil was right, but she still didn't feel right about it. How could Logan be the one to help him when he was in the same position as Mac? They both cared too much about Veronica.

Logan was trying in vain to remind Veronica of that particular fact, but she wasn't in the mood to listen. She was focusing on Wallace and his drug problem. When lunch was over, he gave her an inquiring look. "So are we still on for dinner?"

She pulled out her phone and checked her text messages. "Alicia doesn't mind, so sure," she said. She didn't want to keep letting Cassidy or Dick come between them, but it wasn't easy.

Logan looked relieved and kissed her. Then he grabbed their leftovers and cleaned up the mess. "Pick me up at work, and we'll go someplace close," she said.

"You got it!" he said happily. He didn't care what they did; he just wanted to be with her.

******* _That Evening*******_

Logan parked his Xterra and walked down the sidewalk toward Java Hut. He heard loud voices outside the front entrance. As he got closer, he saw an attractive girl arguing with a guy. The guy grabbed her arm, so Logan moved quickly to see if the girl needed help.

"Let go! You don't get to tell me what to do! This is our first date!" she scolded in annoyance.

"You have been leading me on all night!" the guy exclaimed angrily.

"Is there a problem here?" Logan asked, stepping up.

"Not your problem," the man said crossly. "My girl and I are just having a disagreement."

"Maybe you should let her go. Manhandling isn't usually a turn on for most girls," Logan said with a smirk. "Unless you're into that."

The girl yanked her arm away from the guy, glaring at both men. "As if!" she said with an eye roll. "You can go to hell! I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Fine!" the guy said and stormed off.

"You really know how to pick'em," Logan said to the girl.

"I really do," she said with a sigh. Then she looked at him. "Thanks. I could handle him, but I appreciate your chivalry."

"That's me. Logan the chivalrous," he said, giving her a bow.

She smiled and held out her hand. "Jackie Cook. It's nice to meet you."

Logan shook her hand. "So I haven't seen you around before. I'd remember a girl as pretty as you," he said, flashing her a smile.

"And I'd remember you," she said, giving him a once over and liking what she saw. "I just moved here. My mom lives in New York. My dad lives here. He's a pretty big deal for sports fans. Terrance Cook."

"Really? Cool!" Logan said. "Are you still in high school? I'm at senior at Neptune High."

"Yeah, me too. I should be there tomorrow," she said.

"Great. My girlfriend Veronica works here at the Hut. We'll look for you tomorrow," Logan said, figuring he should mention he wasn't available.

"All the good ones are taken," she said with regret.

"I hope you'll still say hi when you see me, though," he said with a friendly smile.

"Of course," she said. She watched him walk into the restaurant. Now that was one very cute and charming white boy. Maybe Neptune wouldn't be so bad after all.

Logan went inside to find Veronica sitting and waiting for him. She stood when she spotted him. Logan bent down and kissed his girlfriend. "Sorry, I got held up. Some jerk was manhandling his date," Logan shared.

She smiled. "And I bet you just couldn't help but come to the fair maiden's rescue," she said knowingly.

"You know it. She declared her undying love and affection for me, but I had to let her down easy," he said with an arrogant smirk.

"Oh, yeah? How did she take it?" Veronica asked.

"There were tears. And begging. It was a sad sight. But I remained firm," Logan said. "I told her I was taken."

"You did?"

"By a beautiful woman with a terrible temper, who will beat me mercilessly if I so much as _look_ at another woman!" he said dramatically.

"You know it!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck and smiling up at him. "Was she pretty?"

"Aren't they all?"

"You can look, but you better never touch," she said.

"Bobcat, you are definitely all I can handle," he said in all sincerity. He kissed her again. Then he took her hand. "Ready to eat?"

"Starvin'! Luigi's, please!" she begged.

He sighed in resignation. "I suppose," he said. He held open the door for her.

"I think I figured out what's going on with Wallace and the drug test!" she told him.

"Really? Already?" Logan said as they walked out the door.

"Wait 'til you hear!"

***** _*Chapter End*_ *****

_Since you already know how the drug testing thing ended, I didn’t write more about it. I really wanted to focus on the characters without pretending season 2 didn't exist. That means I will bring in some real things from season 2. However, since my story changed some details (like Meg not failing the drug test 'cause she was no longer on the team), it won't be exactly the same._


	5. Troubled Waters

_ ******Later that Same Night****** _

Logan made it back home mostly pleased with his dinner with Veronica. They'd had a good time. Both silently agreeing to avoid discussing Dick or his brother. He didn't think she wanted to shut him out even though he knew she still had a lot of emotions inside her that were unresolved. Logan felt grateful that they were able to find their way past the ugliness of all that had occurred.

He was in his room changing for bed when Weevil knocked and came in.

"Hey," Logan said. "What's up?"

Weevil frowned at him, obviously not happy with him. "You need to man up," Weevil said.

Logan gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Instead of answering, Weevil asked, "Do you really love Veronica?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes, I do. Very much," Logan said.

"Then I don't get you. Not at all," Weevil said, shaking his head in disapproval. "You cannot be so wishy-washy when it comes to the Casablancas. You keep letting Dick run his mouth about how his poor brother is not a villain but a victim, I'm going deck both of you. It's pissing me off, and I know it has to be upsetting V."

Logan knew he had a point, but he didn't appreciate Weevil taking him to task. "Dick is going through a tough time," he said.

"Tough shit. He deserves to be. He set the entire thing up," Weevil said. He stepped closer to Logan. "How do you not get that? He told another man to rape Veronica, a girl who was Lilly's best friend. A girl your best friend Duncan loved. You claim to love her, but you don't seem to want to demand Dick own up to the guilt that both of them have for what happened to her."

"How can I do that and excuse my own guilt?" Logan pointed out. "I am the one who turned the school against her. I'm the one who made it okay to treat her that way."

"You told your friends to violate her? You encouraged that?" Weevil asked sharply.

"No, of course not! I'd never go that far! I never dreamed any of them would either!" Logan said.

"So let yourself off the hook. You didn't do that to Veronica. Duncan, Cassidy, and Dick had a hand in violating her that night," Weevil said firmly. "But you have got to stand up for her with Dick more. You are going to lose her if you don't. Your dad beat the shit out of you, right?"

Logan was surprised by the subject change but nodded.

"How would you feel if your mom right in front of you made excuses for him? Or tried to understand or excuse his behavior?" Weevil asked.

Logan blinked at him—he hadn't expected this from Weevil. He frowned. His mother mostly pretended nothing happened. If she had excused the bastard, he might've snapped. He sat down on the bed and sighed in frustration. "I know you gotta point, but Dick is so clueless. He's an ass, but he's not malicious by nature," Logan said.

"How can you say that to me?" Weevil demanded in disgust. "He told his brother to have sex with an unconscious girl! That _is_ a malicious act! You can't keep making excuses for him. Not to mention even if he didn't honestly believe Cassidy would do it, the fact is, he did. Now it's time for Dick to own up to his actions and his brother's guilt. Sure, the kid is screwed up, but it doesn't make it okay or him guilt free. His brother doesn't get a free pass. He's a rapist! He's also an almost mass murderer. You guys keep conveniently forgetting it, and it's starting to piss me off!" Weevil glared at Logan and left the room, leaving Logan with his thoughts.

Weevil had enough on his hands tripping through Mac's friendship with the brothers. Their relationship was new, and he didn't want to rock the boat too much over Dick. However, Logan was another matter. Logan needed to get a clue.

Alone in his room, Logan knew Weevil was right. He needed to talk to Dick. Again.

****** _The Next Day******_

Logan didn't see Dick before school the next morning, so they didn't get a chance to talk. He wasn't sure school was the best location for a serious talk, but he wanted to say something sooner rather than later. Dick was his friend, but Veronica was the woman he loved. He knew that if he didn't put her first, he may lose her for real.

He went into Mrs. Murphy's class and blinked in surprise to see the new girl he'd met last night sitting in a desk. He sat down next to her. "Jackie, right?" he asked.

She looked up and smiled. "Oh, hi! It's great to see a familiar face," she said.

"Let me see your schedule. Maybe we have another class together," Logan said.

She handed it to him. "It looks like we're both in Mr. Wuu's class next. He's not too bad. My girlfriend Veronica and her best friend are in there with us, so I'll introduce you to some people," Logan offered.

"Well, I have a feeling that you're the only person I need to know," Jackie said with a coy smile.

Logan smiled back. Then class started. When it was over, Logan chatted with her as they walked to their next class.

Veronica was already in Mr. Wuu's class waiting for Logan. She was talking with Wallace when he let out a low whistle.

"Now that's a fine-looking woman Logan's talking to! Who is she?" Wallace asked from the seat behind Veronica.

Logan sat down in the open seat in front of Veronica. Jackie sat down next to him.

"Veronica, this is Jackie. Jackie, this is my girlfriend Veronica and that dashing young man behind her is Wallace, her partner in crime," Logan said, winking at Wallace.

"Hey!" Wallace said, waving. Naturally, the school would get a beautiful black goddess just as he was off the market. Life was cruel!

"Nice to meet you guys," she said politely.

"Did you get to the bottom of your latest caper?" Logan asked Veronica.

"You'll be happy to know that I made Wallace take a drug test, and he is telling the truth!" Veronica announced.

"Not cool, Superfly!" Wallace grumbled. He glanced at Jackie, who was listening to their conversation with interest.

"Don't worry, Wallace. _I_ never thought you were doing drugs!" Logan said with a smirk.

"Veronica's got a lead, so we'll get to the bottom of this soon," Wallace said.

Then Mr. Wuu came in, and the conversation was forced to a conclusion.

****** _Lunch******_

Veronica, Mac, and Weevil were heading outside for lunch. Mac was trying to apologize to Veronica for yesterday, but Veronica just wanted to forget about both brothers.

"Listen, Mac, I'm not going to tell you who to be friends with. I detest Dick. That's not going to change anytime soon. He encouraged his brother to rape me, and he really isn't sorry about it. So if you want my permission to be friends with him, you're not going to get it. Will I be mad if you are? No. He's Logan's best friend. I can deal," Veronica said tiredly.

"You shouldn't have to," Weevil said. He glanced at Mac, who was seriously regretting the conversation.

"I just feel like Dick needs a friend who can encourage him to be better," Mac said a bit defensively.

"Fine. Be that friend. I wish you luck. But do me a favor. Don't come to me when he hurts you or betrays your trust in some way," Veronica said. She decided she wasn't in the mood to deal with an 09er lunch. She spotted Logan sitting at a table with the new girl, laughing. Frowning, she debated on whether or not she should interrupt. Then she decided, she didn't have the energy to explain why she wanted to go inside for lunch. "Tell Logan I have to work on some leads for Wallace," she said to Mac and Weevil. Then she turned and headed in the opposite direction.

Mac, unhappy, watched her walk away. "That didn't go very well," she observed.

"Well, what did you expect?" Weevil asked. "You wanted her to say it was okay for you to be friends with the guy who raped her and his brother who encouraged him to do so."

Mac could sense his own anger at her in his words even though he didn't raise his voice. "You're mad at me, too?" she asked in surprise.

"I'm mad at the entire mess," Weevil admitted. "It does piss me off a bit that you and Logan think V should just welcome Dick into her life like nothing happened. I mean it'd be different if he was actually repentant or something, but he's not. He feels guilt over his brother, but he hasn't really shown true remorse for his part in what happened to her at that party."

Mac knew Weevil had a point, but she still felt torn. "Cassidy knows he did wrong. He admitted it, and he apologized to her. I already hurt him by falling for you when I was supposed to be dating him. How can I not try to be there for him?" she asked, her eyes reflecting her turmoil.

Weevil focused on the only part of her words that mattered to him. "Fell for me, did ya?" he asked, smiling at her. "I have been known to have that effect on a girl or two."

Mac gaped at him, his sudden mood swing taken her by surprise. Then she blinked and focused on what he said. "Only a girl or two? That surprises me," she said, returning his smile.

Weevil put his hand on her cheek, lightly tracing her dimple with his thumb. "I don't want to fight with you about Dick or his messed-up brother. I know you have a lot of compassion inside of you, and I wouldn't want you to walk away from anyone you truly felt needed you," he said earnestly. "I just want you to calculate the risks and make sure you think it's worth it. I'm here for you either way."

His support relieved her, and she gave him a hug. "Thanks," she said. They walked over to Logan. She paused before they got to the table. "Who is that with Logan?"

Weevil frowned. "I don't know. But whoever she is, she's obviously got Logan's attention," he said.

They moved forward, and Weevil sat down next to Logan. Mac sat down on Weevil's other side. "Yo, Logan. Who's your friend?" he asked, glancing at Jackie.

Jackie was surprised that such a rough looking guy was friends with Logan. She let her surprise show. "You two are friends?" she asked.

"Well, I'm not sure I'd go that far," Weevil said with a grimace.

Logan grinned. "We're basically foster brothers. I was homeless since his former gang burned down my house and left me for dead. His grandmother, my housekeeper, took me in when I got released from the hospital," Logan said. His amusement at Weevil's discomfort with his recitation increased. He found it hilarious that Weevil was embarrassed by their connection when it should be the other way around.

"You don't have any other family?" she asked.

"My sister Trina is too busy trying to sell her version of the Aaron Echolls’ story," Logan said dryly.

Mac leaned over and said, "Veronica told us to tell you that she wouldn't be joining us for lunch. She's working on Wallace's case," Mac shared.

Logan nodded and realized he hadn't introduced Jackie. "Jackie, this is Weevil and Mac. Guys, this is Jackie. She moved her from New York. Her father lives in Neptune," Logan said.

Mac and Weevil listened as Jackie spent the rest of lunch name dropping and telling tales about her lavish lifestyle. Logan seemed to find her amusing and shared his own story or two. Mac couldn't help but notice that she more than once reached out and touched Logan's hand in seemingly innocent ways.

Weevil noticed, too. He shook his head—Logan got dumber every day.

******* _After Lunch******_

Veronica went into her journalism class. Logan was sitting by Duncan. When he saw her come in, he waved and smiled at her. She sat down in the seat he'd saved for her. "I missed you at lunch," he said, placing a light kiss on her lips.

"Yeah, I could tell you were all broken up by my absence," she said dryly.

Logan frowned. Then he grinned. "You saw me talking to Jackie?" he asked. "You got jealous? Really?" He turned to Duncan. "Veronica is jealous of me and another woman! How hot is that?"

Duncan shook his head. "Now you're just asking for trouble," Duncan observed.

"I was _not_ jealous!" she denied in annoyance. "If the new girl wants to get her flirt on with you, then it's no sweat off my back." She looked and watched Dick hitting on another girl. "Who's that?"

"Jane. She's too smart to fall for Dick, so don't worry," Logan said. Logan hadn't forgotten his plan to talk to Dick, but he hadn't had a chance.

"So are we going to the Shark's Stadium tomorrow on the field trip?" Duncan asked.

"Sounds lame to me," Logan said.

"A day of no classes sounds good to me. Meg wants to go," Duncan said.

"Sounds fun," Veronica said.

"Since when are you a sports fan?" Logan asked.

"Only child of a rabid baseball fan. Dad would be seriously disappointed in me if I didn't take a tour of the stadium," Veronica said.

"Fine, I'll go. Maybe we can make-out under the bleachers," Logan said with a mischievous grin.

Veronica rolled her eyes, but Logan detected a hint of smile around her lips.

After class, Logan said goodbye to Veronica and grabbed Dick's arm. "Let's blow off our last period and go surfing," Logan said.

"I promised Mac I'd take her to see Cassidy after school," Dick said.

Logan was surprised. However, he knew he couldn't put off talking to Dick. "Then let's go get a coffee. I'd like to talk to you without everyone around," Logan said.

Dick never cared much about class and shrugged. "'Kay. Let's go," he said. He followed Logan to his Xterra. Logan drove the short drive to the Java Hut.

It wasn't long before they had drinks and were sitting at a table. "Dick, I know things have been rough for you lately. No one knows more than I how crappy things can get with family," Logan said.

Dick nodded. "Yeah, it blows," he agreed.

"And you know I'm your friend, right?" Logan asked.

"Sure, dude. The best," Dick said.

"But you know I love Veronica. She's the best thing in my life right now. She makes everything else bearable," Logan said.

Dick frowned. "I guess. I can't imagine any girl being that important but whatever floats your boat," he said carelessly.

"The thing is, Dick, I don't like seeing her hurt, and it hurts her when you attack her over Cassidy. He raped her," Logan said. When Dick opened his mouth to protest, Logan held up his hand. "Let me finish. He may be messed up. Bad things happened to him. But Dick, bad things happen to lots of people. My dad beat the shit out of me all the time. I act like an ass sometimes, and I embarrassed and humiliated Veronica every chance I got after Lilly died. But I never physically hurt her or nor did I encourage you or anyone else to. We all knew that Duncan still cared about her. He definitely wouldn't have wanted that. You knew that."

"I guess," Dick reluctantly agreed.

"I believe you when you say you honestly didn't think your brother would go through with it. You didn't believe he had it in him," Logan said. "But the fact is, he did, and you told him to do so."

"That's messed up, dude!" Dick said unhappily. He didn't like the way the conversation was going.

"It is. What's even more messed up is you continue to attack Veronica. She's the victim here. She didn't do anything to deserve what happened to her. Even you have to agree with that," Logan said.

"I didn't want her to be raped!" Dick said defensively.

"But she was and now you are acting like Cassidy is the victim in what happened to her. It's not right, dude. Not at all. She shouldn't have to defend herself to you, especially when she's hanging with her friends. I can't have it. You gotta acknowledge your part in what happened and quit taking your guilt over Cassidy out on her," Logan ordered firmly.

"She really pisses me off, dude," Dick said.

"I know, Dick. She's good at pushing buttons. She used to make me crazy. Still does. And I don't want to lose a friend over this, but I will if you keep attacking her over Cassidy. What's going on with Cassidy is not her fault, and you know it. You need to make amends somehow to her. Apologize and mean it or stay away from her until you can," Logan said.

"So are you like breaking up with me or something?" Dick asked with a smirk.

"Don't make me," Logan said with a grin. "Duncan's surfing skills have gone to shit lately."

Dick snickered. "He was never that good to begin with," Dick said. "Dude, we need to go back. I don't want to upset Mac. She's Ronnie's friend, so it's really cool that she even wants to see my brother. He needs people like her."

Logan was a bit taken aback by his diligence to a schedule. It was uncharacteristic. However, it was good that he was thinking of someone else for a change. Logan decided that could only be a good thing.

"So are we cool?" he asked Dick as they got up.

"Sure. I can play it cool with Ronnie. I know what happened to her sucked, but she was drugged and doesn't remember it. My brother was raped and repeatedly messed with by that perv coach. He remembers it all. I just can't find much compassion in me for Ronnie right now. I'm sorry. It makes me sick when I think about that sicko putting his hands on my brother when he was just a kid. And he didn't think he could talk to me or our parents. That's messed up. I gotta live with that," Dick said.

Logan didn't know quite how to respond to Dick's words. On one hand, he understood where Dick was coming from in regard to Cassidy. On the other hand, Veronica's feelings had to come first, and he wanted to be worthy of her love. "Dick, I know it's an ugly situation with your brother, but I mean it when I say you can't keep throwing things in Veronica's face or acting like she's wrong for wanting your brother to be punished. What was done to her was a crime. Your brother knew it was wrong when he did it. He was old enough to know both what he was doing and the wrongness of it. Remember that," Logan said firmly.

There wasn't much talking between the two friends as Logan drove them back to campus. He hoped Dick wouldn't make him have to discuss it again. Logan wished the world didn't keep knocking back so many people he cared about. He lost his mother, his home, his first love, and now he was having to re-examine all the friends in his life. Neither Duncan nor Dick—his two closest friends—had done right by Veronica. However, he had been the worst, so his guilt still clung to the recesses of his mind.

Weevils words had struck a chord him, though. He knew that if things were going to work between him and Veronica, he had step up and be the man she deserved.

****** _Chapter End******_

_ I appreciate kudos and comment! _


	6. A Disturbing Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated "M" for mature audiences (scene at the end).

***** _Same Day*****_

Mac was putting her books in her locker after her last class was over. Dick came up to her. "So are you still wanting to go with me to visit my brother?" he asked her.

Mac felt conflicted. She knew she would be risking her friendship with Veronica if she continued to have a friendship with Cassidy. However, Mac hadn't been one to have a lot of friends. It had never been easy for her to make friends. This year, she'd made more than she'd ever had in her life. Veronica and Cassidy had been the first. Was she supposed to turn her back on Cassidy because of what he did to Veronica before she even knew him? How could she reject and abandon someone that was so lost and obviously so hurt?

Dick saw her hesitation, and he wasn't happy. "Are you going to bail? I thought you were different, Mac," he said bitterly. "Will Ronnie quit speaking to you if you do?"

"I don't think so," Mac said doubtfully.

"So what's it going to be? Do you want to go or not?" Dick asked sourly.

"Okay," Mac said, making a decision. She closed her locker, and her eyes connected with Weevil's. He had been standing a few feet away obviously waiting for her to be free. "Give me a minute," she said to Dick. Then she walked toward Weevil.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Mac dug her car keys out of her pocket and handed them to Weevil. "Would you take my car? I'll have Dick drop me off at your place in an hour," she said.

Weevil frowned. "Why?" he asked even though he knew the probable answer.

"Dick's going to take me to see Cassidy," Mac said. She waited for his response.

"Seriously?" he asked.

"Please don't be mad. I just want to see how he's doing," she said. She held the keys out to him.

Weevil wrestled with himself. His first instinct was to just walk away and let her do whatever the hell she wanted. He'd get Logan to take him home. He looked over at Dick who was waiting nearby. Weevil didn't want to give Dick an opening to get closer to Mac. "Okay," he said. He took the keys. "I'll be at my house."

She gave him a relieved smile. "Thanks," she said. She was going to say more, but he never gave her a chance. He just turned and left.

"Are you ready?" Dick asked from behind her.

She turned from watching Weevil walk away. "Yes, let's go," she said. "Weevil's going to take my car to his place, so you can drop me off there when we're done."

Dick shrugged. "No prob," he said.

A short time later, Dick pulled up to a state facility. "This is where he's at?" Mac asked.

"Well, he's a minor, so there's a ward separate from adults that he's in. It's better than jail," Dick said.

A short time later, they were in a small room with table and chairs. They didn't wait long before Cassidy was brought in. The door shut. An orderly or guard could be seen through the window watching them.

Cassidy seemed very surprised to see Mac. She smiled at him. Dick got up and gave his brother a hug. "Are you okay?" he asked Cassidy.

Cassidy nodded. "Yeah," he said softly. He wasn't used to seeing Dick so concerned with him. It made him feel strange. He sat down in a chair across from Mac.

"I hope it's okay that Dick brought me. I wanted to see how you were doing," Mac said.

"Well, it could be worse. I hear that Woody is dead. The truth about him was exposed, so people won't be mourning his passing. My court date is Friday," Cassidy shared.

"What's going to happen?" Mac asked.

"My lawyer worked an agreement with the D.A. The hearing is just to have the judge make it official," he said. "I'll plead guilty to assault on Veronica."

"Assault not rape?" Dick asked in surprise.

"My attorney got the D.A. to agree to that, so I don't have to be a registered sex offender. I guess because of my age and all the crap that went on with me," Cassidy explained. "I had to agree to long term treatment, though. Since they didn't find any actual bomb making stuff in the house, they couldn't charge me with a felony with that."

"That's it?" Dick asked. He could've asked his mom about this, but that would've involved talking to her.

"I'm going to be transferred on Monday to a mental hospital in Santa Barbra that specializes in screwed up teens. We have money, so they won't stick me in a state facility," Cassidy said.

"When will they let you out?" Dick asked.

"I had to agree to stay there until I turn eighteen. Then I'll be on probation for two years," Cassidy said.

"That's not too bad," Mac said.

"You're going to be sent away for two years? Isn't there a place closer?" Dick asked, obviously upset.

"Mom picked the facility, so I don't know," Cassidy said with a shrug.

Dick got up. "Yeah, well, we know she's only thinking about herself in that choice. It probably cost the most!" he exclaimed. "It's bullshit!"

Mac decided she needed to speak to Cassidy alone. "Dick, do you mind if I talk to your brother a few minutes alone?" she asked.

Dick shrugged and walked out of the room. Mac looked at Cassidy and gave him a small smile. "I hope it's okay that I sent him out," she said.

"I guess," Cassidy said, clearly uncomfortable.

"I wanted to explain why Dick's so angry," she said. "He's freaking out about your mom. She's been talking about taking you away to live with her. Of course, I guess that won't happen now. But Dick is feeling abandoned. Your dad left and your mom doesn't seem to care what happens to him. You're the only one he has, and he's really upset at the thought of losing you."

"I used to want to live with her, but she never wanted me to," Cassidy admitted. His brother's obvious upset at the thought of his absence both confused him and comforted him. He wasn't used to seeing his brother so concerned about his well being.

"Dick loves you. Probably more than he loves anyone. He's feeling a lot of guilt over what happened to you," Mac said.

"He couldn't have stopped what Coach did," Cassidy said, not wanting to even speak the man's name. He was still reeling from Dick's revelation that their father shot the man before fleeing the country. However, he knew he couldn't mention that to Mac.

"Maybe not but he knows he could've treated you better," Mac said.

"That's true. He's been pretty awful a lot of times," he said.

"I don't think he realized what damage words and teasing can do," Mac said. "I've had a lot of that in my life, so I get it. But I eventually didn't let those people matter."

"It's harder when it's your family," Cassidy said.

Mac nodded. She knew that if her family had treated her the way Cassidy had been treated, she'd be an entirely different person. "I can imagine it would be," Mac agreed.

"How's school?" Cassidy asked, wanting to change the subject.

"So far so good. It's weird having friends. I always ate my lunch in the computer lab," she admitted with a rueful smile.

Cassidy snickered. "Yeah, you were even lamer than me," he said. He wanted to ask her about Weevil, but he decided he really didn't want to know. "It's probably not a good idea for you to visit me, though."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Veronica has befriended you, right?" he asked. Mac nodded. "I hurt her. I won't deny it. I'm still not sure how I could've done such a thing. She was always nice to me. Maybe that's why I did it. I felt safe with her. I don't know. I think because she was basically unconscious, and I didn't have to look her in the eyes, I could pretend it was okay."

Mac was surprised that he revealed so much. It was clear what had happened to him lately had forced him to examine himself. "I'm glad you understand what you did was wrong. Dick keeps attacking Veronica over it. He doesn't want to face what you did and gets really angry when she calls it what it was," Mac revealed.

Cassidy was surprised. "I'll talk to him," he told her.

Dick came back in. "We only have ten more minutes to visit," Dick said.

Mac got up. "I'll let you two visit in private," she said. "Do you think you'll get email access when you get transferred?"

"Probably. I don't know," Cassidy said.

"Email me if you do, so I can at least write you," she said.

"There's always pen and paper," he said, smiling at her knowingly.

She laughed. "I know not of what you speak!" she joked. She walked over and gave him a hug. "Hang in there. You'll get through this."

"Thanks, Mac, for being my friend," Cassidy said, deeply touched by her. She was a remarkable woman. He knew what she was risking by reaching out to him. She smiled at him before walking out the door.

Dick examined his brother. "Are you really okay?" he asked him.

"As okay as I can be," Cassidy said with a shrug. "I guess, I don't really want to die anymore."

"That's good. I don't want you to die," Dick said.

"And I don't want you to make things worse," Cassidy said.

Dick frowned in confusion. "How am I making things worse?" he asked.

"You know I did a horrible thing, right? I was planning on doing much worse," Cassidy admitted.

"I don't believe that! You wouldn't have hurt anyone!" Dick insisted.

Cassidy shook his head. "No, you're wrong, Dick. I would've. I didn't want anyone to know what had happened to me. I had to find a way to keep our secret. But Peter and Marco wanted to report what had been done to us. I knew how to make the bomb. I got one of Aaron Echoll's movie men to teach me. I just had a few details to nail down," Cassidy said, looking his brother straight in the eye. "I was going to commit murder of two people."

Dick grimaced. "I just don't understand. How could you want to kill anyone? A bomb on a bus could've killed lots of people. Not just those two," Dick pointed out.

"Well, I had a plan for that. All those that mattered would've been fine," Cassidy insisted.

"All that mattered?" Dick asked, shocked that his brother would take their innate superiority complex so far. "Everyone matters to someone, dude."

Cassidy flinched under his brother's disapproving gaze. "You just don't understand," he said weakly.

Dick got up. "No, I don't. That's some messed up shit, dude. You're my brother, and I'm on your side. But you got to take this stuff seriously. Make sure you talk to someone or something. Get some help," Dick said.

"That's the plan," Cassidy said. "I don't really have a choice."

Dick put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'll come see you at court Friday with Mom. Don't be bending over for the soap in the showers or anything," he said grinning, trying to shake off the horrible feeling his brother's words caused him.

Cassidy laughed and shook his head. "There's no communal showers. No chance of that," he said. He stood up, and Dick hugged him.

"Later, dude," Dick said, waving at him.

Dick met Mac, and they went down the hall to the elevator. "He looks good," Mac said.

"All things considering, yeah," Dick agreed. They stepped on the elevator and pushed the ground floor button. "You know, he actually told me that he would've blown up that bus just to get rid of his two friends. Or one time friends."

"He said that?" Mac asked in surprise.

Dick nodded. "He told me that he hadn't worked out all the details, but all those that mattered would've been safe," Dick shared.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Mac asked with a frown. The elevator opened, and they stepped out.

"How the hell should I know? It tells me he's even more messed up than I thought," Dick said sourly. He opened the passenger side of his truck and helped her step up.

He walked around and got in. Instead of starting the truck, he sat there a moment.

"Are you okay?" Mac asked.

"No. I'm not. My brother just basically told me that if you and I hadn't figured out what he was up to, he would've been responsible for the deaths of several of our classmates. How am I supposed to deal with that? I really didn't think he was serious," Dick confessed. "I mean, I know he hurt Ronnie, but mass murder? I just don't understand what he was thinking."

Mac didn't either. She didn't know what to say because she had a hard time understanding Cassidy. She didn't understand how she had been so oblivious to all that he had been hiding.

"I guess we just got to be grateful that we figured out what was going on in time to stop him. He's getting help," she said.

"But what's inside of him that would want to kill people? I don't get it. I mean, I understand wanting to kill Woody. I get what my dad did. That man needed to die. But Beav being willing to blow up a school bus full of people to kill two guys I thought were his friends? That I will never understand," Dick said warily.

"Me either. It's obvious that he is badly damaged," she said softly. "I think it's important that he get treatment in a place near you. He needs to know that someone cares about what's happening to him. People have to want to change things. We should check out some places before Friday, so you can talk to your mom."

"A lot of good that'll do," Dick said in disgust. He pulled his truck out onto the road.

"You won't know until you try," she said.

"I guess," Dick said. "I'm taking you to Logan's?"

"Yes, Weevil's," she said, making a point of correcting his dismissal of her boyfriend.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the Navarros'. "Do you want to come in and talk to Logan?" Mac asked. She thought he could use Logan right now.

"No, I'm going home. I'll talk to him later," Dick said. "Thanks for coming."

Mac put her hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze. "I'm glad I saw him. He's going to get help. You saved him," she said. She smiled reassuringly at Dick and got out of the truck.

When she got up to the door, it came open. Jordan smiled at her. "Is Weevil here?" she asked him. He nodded and stepped back.

Logan peeked his head out of his room. He waved at her. Mac stopped in front of his room.

"You should go see Dick. We went and saw his brother. He's pretty upset. I think he could use a friend," Mac said. "Is Weevil in his room?"

"Yeah. Go on in. I'll go check on Dick," Logan told her.

She nodded and went to Weevil's room. She knocked on the door. When no one answered, she opened it. Weevil was lying on his bed with headphones on and his eyes closed. Mac walked and sat down on his bed. His eyes opened at the movement. When he saw her, he pulled off his headphones.

"Sorry. I didn't hear you," he said. He sat up in the bed. She looked wiped out. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

"Yeah. You don't have to worry about me seeing Cassidy anymore. He's going to be moved to a mental facility out of Neptune Monday. He'll be locked up for the next two years," she shared.

"Good," Weevil said. "That's not nearly enough, though."

Mac didn't argue. She just nodded. Weevil reached out and grabbed her hand. He tugged her down next to him. The fact that she didn't tense up or fight him told him exactly how low she was feeling. He put his arms around her and moved over, so she could rest her head on his chest.

They laid there in complete silence for a full five minutes. Mac was grateful that Weevil somehow knew she needed some time. Finally, she said, "Thanks."

"For what?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "For being so patient and understanding. I know you weren't happy with my decision to go visit Cassidy," she said.

"No, I wasn't," he admitted. "But I know you care about him, and it would've bothered you more not to go see him."

Mac nodded. "Yeah. I didn't want the last time I saw him to be that horrible scene on his birthday when he almost blew his brains out," she said with a grimace. "I don't like knowing I was so clueless about how mixed up he really was."

"Sometimes, people put a lot of energy in pretending. Lilly Kane did. She had many personas. Logan's dad was a master at hiding behind a mask," Weevil said.

Mac raised up on her elbow and ran a hand down his face. "Do you?" she asked.

"Do I what?"

"Do you wear a mask?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Not most of the time. Normally, what you see is what you get," he said.

"I disagree. I think there's so much going on underneath your tough, tattooed exterior," Mac said, flashing a dimpled smile at him.

"Maybe just a little," he said coyly. He brushed his hand through her hair. "Has anyone every told you that you are so incredibly adorable?"

Mac wrinkled her nose. "Adorable? That's every girl's dream!"

Weevil laughed. "Give me time and I'm sure I'll think of more ways to fulfill your dreams," he said.

Mac found him irresistible when he smiled at her so fully. Her heart raced, and she felt her wariness flee. "I have one particular dream you could help me with," she said, flashing him a mischievous look.

"Really?" Weevil said, detecting a note in her voice he hadn't heard before.

"I was thinking it might be kind of nice to go past first base with a cute boy," she said.

"Any cute boy? I'm sure Logan has some smooth moves," Weevil said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"He's too high maintenance for me," Mac said casually. Then she laughed and moved until her lips hovered above his. "I have a thing for a guy who adores his grandmother and takes in his homeless archenemy."

Weevil grinned. "Hmm. He sounds like a stand up guy," he said.

"That's what I was thinking. I'm still waiting for him to take advantage of the fact that I'm alone in his room for the first time," she said.

Before she could say more, Weevil moved quickly and flipped her onto her back so that he was leaning over her. His lips fused with hers, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his kiss.

Weevil moved his hand down to her stomach and pushed it under her shirt, caressing her stomach. The kiss got hotter. Mac loved kissing him because it made her feel so alive. His hand moved under her shirt and her stomach clenched in both excitement and nervousness. She trusted him not to push too quickly, but she was ready to explore all these feelings he awoke inside of her.

Needing air, the kiss broke off. Weevil's lips trailed down her neck. Mac moaned as he found a sensitive spot on her neck. Sensing her response, he sucked down on it. Mac felt this delicious tension building inside of her. Her head was spinning. "Take it off!" she ordered.

"What?" he asked in confusion, caught up in exploring the taste of her.

"My shirt," she said, looking at him meaningfully.

His hand pushed up against her bra, releasing her breasts. For the first time in her life, Mac discovered what it felt like to have a man's hands on her breast. She gasped in response.

Weevil looked down at her. She was so responsive, so incredibly sweet. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, not wanting to freak her out.

She nodded. "I feel so much. Don't stop! Not yet!" she said.

He fused their mouths together once again and used his hands to work her nipples. When he flicked one between his thumb and forefinger a bit roughly, she gasped against his lips. Her breasts were incredibly sensitive. Weevil always found it strange that some women reacted like this, and some didn't at all. He loved watching her come alive. He broke off the kiss and quickly raised her up slightly, so he could remove the shirt completely. Her eyes opened in surprise. He saw the sudden shyness come over her and smiled reassuringly at her. "I take it back. You are _not_ adorable. You are sexy as hell!" he informed her. He ran his hands over the top half of her body in reverence. "So we may be pushing a bit closer to third base, but I promise to keep your shorts on." He gave her a wolfish grin, causing her to giggle. However, all amusement fled when he closed his mouth over on one of her breasts.

Mac worked hard not to scream in response. The sudden thought of his grandmother or brothers coming in on them choked down the scream. "The door. Is it locked?" she asked anxiously.

Weevil wasn't about to stop yet for anything. He didn't care who came through the damn door. She was close; he could feel it. He used his hand to pull on her other breast while he sucked hard on her breast. Her body bowed back in response, and she clutched her nails into his back.

"Oh, God! What are you doing to me?" she asked in awe.

"Making you forget everything but my name," he said as he grinned up at her. His mouth went around the other breast, and he gave it the same treatment. Since she didn't have on jeans but a pair of shorts made of much softer material, he couldn't resist rubbing his hand down between her legs. All it took was a hard rub for her to come apart. He captured her mouth with his before she screamed.

He kissed her cheeks and peppered her mouth with soft kisses until she calmed down.

Mac felt like she'd died and been reborn. She had never climaxed before, and the feeling had been so incredible. She felt empty and boneless. Her eyes opened and looked at him. He gave her a smug smile, so she grinned back at him. Then a sudden thought came into her mind, and she shot up in the bed, pushing him back.

"Oh God! I just realized what Dick told me earlier! His dad killed Woody Goodman!" she exclaimed. Then she put her hand over her mouth in horror, both for what she'd revealed and the awful timing of it. Her horrified eyes looked at Weevil's very surprised ones.

***** _To Be Continued******_

_I know this chapter contained absolutely no LoVe. I hope you'll forgive me. This chapter reflects what I WISH had happened with Cassidy. Comments and kudos are great!_


	7. Secrets Uncovered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few reminders about Mac: on the show, she was frustrated that Cassidy didn't want to do anything but kiss. She slept with Bronson and Max after knowing them both for five minutes. She wants to experience things, and she is not as cautious as Veronica. It may be strange to read about her with Weevil. However, it was really strange the first time I read a fanfiction story with her and Dick as a couple! :) That never happened on the show. She and Weevil have more in common than she and Dick, especially their high school selves, so give them a chance.

_*******Where We Left Off********_

Mac felt like she'd died and been reborn. She had never climaxed before. The feeling had been so incredible. She felt empty and boneless. Her eyes opened and looked at him. He gave her a smug smile. She grinned back at him. Then a sudden thought came into her mind, and she shot up in the bed, pushing him back.

"Oh God! I just realized what Dick told me earlier! His dad killed Woody Goodman!" she exclaimed. Then she put her hand over her mouth in horror, both for what she'd revealed and the awful timing of it. Her horrified eyes looked at Weevil's very surprised ones.

"Seriously? Dick's dad killed that pervert coach?" Weevil asked in surprise. Then he got annoyed. "So while I'm making out with you, you're thinking of Dick?" He sat up in the bed, putting distance between them. It was clear that Weevil was feeling a bit outraged at the implications.

"I'm so sorry!" Mac exclaimed. She was mortified. What bad timing! "I was just so relaxed and not thinking of anything. I swear I was NOT thinking of Dick when you were touching me! He told me earlier that he didn't understand his brother wanting to blow up a bus full of people. His dad killing Woody he understood because that guy needed to die. His words didn't register at the time. I didn't realize he was basically telling me that his dad _had_ killed Woody. I guess I was so relaxed that my subconscious worked it out."

Weevil still looked disgruntled. Mac realized that talking topless was not a good idea and pulled down her bra. She reached out and put her hand on his arm. "Please, don't think I was thinking of another man when we were doing what we were doing," she said a bit awkwardly. "I do _not_ think of Dick like that. Nor could I think of any man but you when you are touching me.

Weevil wanted to believe her. He gazed at her. She was still flushed from her body's response to him.

"I have never felt so much before. Please, don't be mad," she said. She reached out and put her hand on his face. He gave her a searching look. Then she kissed him.

Weevil decided to let it go. Her body was soft and worked to soothe his annoyance. She broke off the kiss, and he held her close for a few minutes.

"So Dick Senior is a murderer, huh?" Weevil said.

She pulled back and looked at him. He didn't seem angry, so she relaxed. "I'm not sure. Dick said it so matter-of-factly that it didn't even register what he revealed. However, it makes sense. He found out the guy had been abusing his son. His son was so messed up over it that he nearly killed himself and others. So he shot him and fled the country. I guess Dick wasn't too upset over his dad's actions," Mac said.

"Yeah, well, I can't say I blame the guy. If I had a son that was abused that way, I'd want the guy dead who did it," Weevil said.

There was a knock on his door. "Eli, dinner's ready. Is your girlfriend going to join us for dinner?" his grandmother called out.

Weevil laughed as Mac scrambled to put her shirt back on and jumped from his bed.

"Yes, we'll be right out!" Weevil called.

Mac smoothed down her hair and turned to face him. "Do I look normal?" she asked anxiously.

He couldn't resist pulling her back to him for another kiss. "Weevil," she moaned against his mouth. "We need to stop."

"Fine," he said, grinning at her. He smooth down her hair and grabbed her hand. "You look fine."

"I'll need to call my parents and tell them I'm staying for dinner," she said as they stepped into the hall. She figured having a phone to her ear would make her less conspicuous.

Weevil smiled knowingly at her but led her to the kitchen table.

******* _Casablancas*******_

Logan found Dick in his room. His mother was actually there when Logan pulled up.

"Hey," Logan said, stepping into his room.

Dick was on his computer and looked up when Logan came in. "Hey," Dick said.

"So how did the visit go? How's Beaver?" Logan asked.

Dick shrugged. "He's okay. He seems resigned to his fate. Friday is his court date. They're going to send him to a nut house until he's eighteen," Dick shared.

"Really?" Logan asked in surprise.

"Well, he agreed to that in exchange for pleading guilty to raping Veronica. They dropped the conspiracy charges since there wasn't any physical materials like bomb making stuff found," Dick said.

"It's good that he'll get the help he needs," Logan said.

"Yeah, I guess. He's pretty messed up," Dick said with a frown.

"Yea," Logan agreed.

"Mom wants him to go to a facility far away, but Mac says I should find one closer to Neptune," Dick said.

"I'm sure he'll do better if you are able to see him often," Logan said.

"There's a place in San Diego that may work. I guess I'll talk to Mom about it. She'll probably say no," Dick said dejectedly.

"So don't take no for an answer," Logan told him.

"She's never cared what I wanted or thought before," Dick said sourly.

"I didn't realize you were such a pushover," Logan said, trying to engage Dick.

When Dick didn't rise to the bait, Logan realized it was worse than he thought. "Dick, are you okay?" he asked in concern.

Dick shrugged. "I just can't believe the things my brother told me today," Dick admitted. "He told me that raping Ronnie was the least of the crimes he would've done if I hadn't stopped him." Dick looked at Logan, his eyes full of pain. "Dude, he told me that he really would've killed all those people. Whoever had the bad luck to be on the bus the day his two friends were would've died. I don't know him at all. All the time we spent together, and I really didn't have a damn clue."

Logan didn't know what to say. He'd spent quite a bit of time with Cassidy himself, and he hadn't had a clue either. "Remember, Dick, I've spent a lot of time in your house and with your brother, too. I didn't have an inkling either. No one did," Logan said. "Now your brother needs you. If you feel bad, then man up and be the brother Cassidy needs. Lay it out for your mother. She's going to go back to her life in another country. Why should she get to dictate where your brother gets his treatment?"

"You know, you're right! Cassidy's the only family I got. She can't just decide he's going to be taken hours away from me!" Dick exclaimed. He got to his feet. "Thanks, dude!" He slapped Logan on his shoulder and went off to find his mother.

Logan grinned. It felt good having the right words to say.

******* _The Mannings********_

Meg came home from her dinner with Duncan. He'd been really sweet and attentive lately. She almost believed he really cared. In public, she'd been playing the happy couple. It made things easier, especially with her parents. However, when it was just the two of them, things weren't quite so cozy. Duncan had really hurt her. She wanted to trust him again, but she wasn't quite there. It wasn't just her anymore—she had a baby to think about. She'd already talk to one of her aunts that was willing to take her in. Duncan wasn't her only option. Meg just didn't want to ever wake up one day and be her mom. Stuck in a marriage to a man she barely recognized. Meg knew her mom didn't believe in all the crap her father forced on them all the time. However, she submitted and went along with it.

"I'm home," she said to her mom. She was washing the dishes. "Do you need any help?"

"No, it's okay. I got it," her mom said, giving her a small smile.

"I'm going to go finish up my homework and then head to bed," Meg said.

"Sounds good. Good night, sweetheart," her mom said.

Meg walked to her room. She passed by her sister's room. Liz was listening to her head phones and flipping through a magazine. Meg hoped she had the good sense to keep it out of her parents' sight.

She walked by Grace's room and paused to say hi. "Grace?" she called out.

She stepped into the room. "Grace, honey, are you in here?" she asked. Her sister's closet door was open. She walked toward it. Someone was crying. Meg peered inside the closet and didn't see her. "Grace?" she said again. A sick feeling settled inside of her.

"Meg? Can I come out now? I'll be good! I promise!" Grace's voice called out.

Meg got on her knees and crawled into the closet. She pushed back some clothes. "Dear God!" There was a small door. When she opened it, she saw her baby sister sitting in a small chair.

"Can I come out now?" Grace asked hopefully.

A red hot rage came over Meg. She knew her parents had been pushing their fanaticism hard on her youngest sister. The wilder Liz behaved, the more they tightened the reins on Grace. It was bad enough they had her sitting for hours copying scripture verses. Now they were locking her in a closet. She grabbed Grace's hand. "It's okay, baby. You can come out," she coaxed.

When Meg stepped out of the closet, she hugged her sister tight. Her mind raced. What should she do? "Grace, why don't you put on your night gown and get ready for bed?" Meg suggested.

Grace nodded meekly and went to do what Meg suggested.

It broke Meg's heart to see her sister so submissive. She walked across the hall to Liz's room. She pulled the headphones out of the stereo. "Hey! I'm listening to that!" Liz said angrily.

"I need to talk to you," Meg said. "Did you know that our parents have a small crawl space inside Grace's closet? They lock her in there when she's bad!"

Liz's eyes widened in surprise. "You're kidding!" she said in disbelief.

"Like I'd make up something that twisted!" Meg said.

"That's sick! That church has totally messed up their heads!" Liz exclaimed.

"I'm going to say something. I'm not going to let them keep doing this to her," Meg said. She turned and went to find her father, and Liz followed her.

Her parents were in the living room watching television. Meg turned it off. "I just found my baby sister locked in the closet! What is wrong with you two? What kind of twisted justification do you have for that?" Meg asked angrily.

"A time of mediation and reflection is good for the soul," her father said.

"Locking an eight year old in a tiny space is not good for the soul! It's child abuse! And I swear to God I will shout it to the roof tops if I find her in such a place again!" Meg screamed.

"Meg, you will not raise your voice to your father!" her mom scolded.

"Are you for real, Mom? Have your been so brainwashed that you just roll over and accept whatever twisted thing he suggests? Hours of scriptural indoctrination is bad enough! Now you're locking her up! How long has this been going on?" she demanded.

"It is not your business how we choose to raise our child!" her father said. "You and Liz are already ruined. Grace will stay pure and good."

"Did she even get any dinner?" Liz asked. "She wasn't at the dinner table. You told me she was eating her room because she'd gotten in trouble. Did you actually give her any dinner?"

Meg's mom was unable to hold their gaze. "Oh, my God! You withhold food from her, too?" Meg asked.

Her father got to his feet. "You are in our house, young lady! You will not show me disrespect or interfere in how we choose to raise our daughter!" he exclaimed.

"If you think I'm going to let you guys get your hands on my baby, you are out of your mind!" Meg fumed.

"You are not in any position to raise a child! You will give the baby to a couple in our church that can't have children," her father informed her.

Meg's mouth fell open in horror. "Are you _insane_? There is no way in hell my baby is getting adopted. I will be eighteen before the baby is born. You have no say over what I do with my baby. And in case you forgot my baby's father is Duncan _Kane_! That name carries a lot of weight in this town, so think carefully before you try anything!" Meg screamed.

She turned around and went into the kitchen. She quickly made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then she poured a glass of milk. Her mother followed her. "Honey, you are overreacting. Grace isn't being beat or starved. Fasting is considered healthy by all major health experts," her mother said.

Meg just couldn't wrap her mind around her mother's justification. "I dare you to find one health expert that recommends fasting in young children! It's called child abuse! And I swear if it doesn't end, I will do everything in my power to have her removed from this house!" Meg said angrily.

She took the sandwich and milk to her sister's room. Grace's eyes lit up happily, and she very sweetly thanked her sister. It made Meg want to cry. However, she kept a smile on her face, not wanting to upset her sister. She waited until her sister had finished eating and drunk all her milk before leaving. Meg put the glass in the kitchen sink and went to her bedroom.

Her mind raced with solutions. She wasn't sure what to do for her sister, but she knew one thing. She couldn't stay in this house anymore. Leaving her sister to her parents' mercy, though, didn't feel right either. Not knowing what to do, she laid down on her bed and cried herself to sleep.

****** _The Next Day******_

Veronica was in her newspaper class reading over Logan's shoulder. He hated it, so she kept doing it. She loved it when he gave her that disgruntled look. "You forgot the comma right there," she said pointing.

"Knock it off, Veronica!" he ordered. He turned to her and glared. "You can read it when I am done. If you don't go away, I never will be!"

She laughed and looked around the room. Meg had transferred into the class since she dropped cheerleading. She looked pretty down and seemed to be carry on an intense conversation with Duncan. Her curiosity peeked, she rolled her chair over to them. "Hey, guys! What's up?" she asked.

Duncan looked at Meg. "We should tell her. Maybe she can help," Duncan said.

Meg nodded and began to tell Veronica what had happened at her house the night before. Veronica was more than shocked to her Meg's story. She had known Meg's parents were strict. Meg had been frightened to tell her parents about her pregnancy and had mentioned their fanaticism. However, Veronica hadn't thought it was this severe.

"I think she should move out now," Duncan said.

"How can I leave Grace with them?" Meg asked upset.

"I think the first thing you need to do is to start gathering evidence. Take some video of the crawl space and the notebooks. If you can somehow get your sister on video talking to you about the frequency of it, that'd be good, too," Veronica suggested.

"Why don't I talk to CW? He's former FBI. He should know how to plant a camera. If we want to expose your parents, it would probably be better if it wasn't another teen like Veronica gathering all the evidence," Duncan said, surprising Veronica with his insight.

"I agree. The more adults you can get to take this seriously, the better for you in the long run. But if you can go home during lunch tomorrow or anytime soon and get some pictures that Duncan can show Weidman, that will probably help convince him," Veronica said. "You don't want to clue your parents in on what you're doing, so pick a time when they are out of the house."

"I think a camera or nannycam in her room would be a good idea," Meg said. She felt better having shared her burden. Making plans to help her sister made everything seem bearable.

"I can pick up one of those easily enough. They put them in teddy bears. It'd be easy to slip it in her room without arousing suspicions," Veronica said.

"Thanks, Veronica. I feel like I'm going to explode. I was so angry yesterday when I found her in there. She was so accepting of it. And so grateful when I brought her a sandwich and milk," Meg shared, her eyes tearing up at the memory.

Duncan put his arm around her. "Well, one thing's for sure. You are _not_ staying there after the baby is born!" he proclaimed.

"I don't want to, but your mom, Duncan, always has a sour expression on her face whenever she sees me. I can't imagine living in the same house as her," Meg said unhappilly.

Veronica laughed. "It's her normal expression. Don't take it personally. At least she isn't hiring people to take pictures of you behind a rifle eye piece like she did me," Veronica said.

"What?" Duncan asked in dismay.

"Oops! I'm oversharing! My bad!" she tossed out airily. She waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind. Celeste doesn't think anyone is good enough for her perfect son. I'm sure she likes you just fine, though. Who doesn't?"

"What about the pool house? It's basically a small apartment. It even has its own kitchenette," Duncan suggested.

"Maybe. Let's focus on Grace first. Then we can worry about my living situation," Meg said.

"Okay," Duncan said.

The bell rang. Veronica walked over to Logan. "Did you finish it?" she asked him.

"Yes, miss bossy pants! I got it done!" Logan said smugly. "It's amazing what I can do without _someone_ breathing down my neck!"

Veronica laughed. "It's called motivation!" Veronica said. Logan put his arm around her, and they walked out of class together.

****** _After School******_

Logan pulled up to Veronica's apartment and turned off his engine. Veronica looked at him questioningly. "What's up?" she asked.

"I wanted to tell you something when no one else was around," Logan said.

"I know you love me. It's not a secret," she teased.

Logan smiled. "True, but not what I was going to say," he said. "Has your dad given you any updates lately on Cassidy case? His charges for raping you?"

Veronica was surprised by the turn in conversation as she hadn't expected that. "Well, he's out of town for another week. I'm going to grab some things from my place. Wallace is coming by here after practice to pick me up," she said.

"Dick told me that his brother worked a deal. He pled guilty to rape, and they agreed to send him to a mental institution for treatment until he turns eighteen," Logan shared.

Veronica was relieved that it was going to be over so soon. "I'm not sure how I feel about that. Is that enough punishment for what he did? Or what he was planning on doing?" she asked unhappily.

"I don't know. I think it's good that he's getting some professional help, though," Logan said. "Dick was pretty freaked out after his visit yesterday. I guess Cassidy made it really clear that he would've committed murder if Dick and Mac hadn't figured out what he had planned."

"So in two years he can be free to hurt anyone he wants? I'm not sure that's justice," she said sourly.

"I know. I thought you should know. The judge will make everything official Friday. I don't think you can keep those kinds of things secret," Logan said.

Veronica grimaced. "More bad press. Just what I need!" she said. "You'd think people would be more interested in the fact that Dick Sr. skipped town right after Woody was shot. Is Lamb even trying to investigate Goodman's murder?"

"I think most figure it could be any of the parents of the victims, but Dick Sr. leaving does make him the most likely," Logan said. He very well knew it was Dick Sr. However, he didn't see any point in confirming it. It was a delicate balance he had to walk.

"Well, Lamb's days as sheriff are numbered. After the way he bungled Lilly's murder and Felix's, they're going to have him removed soon. It was too clear at your trial that he is corrupt," Veronica said.

"Would your dad take the position?" Logan asked.

"Probably. If they asked very nicely," Veronica said with a smile.

"I talked to Dick about the way he's been acting toward you. I want you to know that it's not okay with me that way he's been," Logan told her.

"I can handle Dick," Veronica insisted.

"But you shouldn't have to," Logan said firmly.

"I appreciate it. I know it's not easy for you sometimes being in the middle," Veronica acknowledged.

"He's a good friend of mine, but he's not who I am in love with," Logan said with a wink. He leaned over to kiss her.

She put her arm around his neck and kissed him back. It did mean something to her that he took up for her. She wasn't used to have anyone defend her.

He pulled back. "I don't want any of my friends making things hard for you ever again. I can't change what all happened to you or my part in it, but I can make sure nothing like that ever happens again," Logan said.

Veronica smiled. "It's a nice change," she said. She kissed him again before getting out of the Xterra. Maybe this year would really be better after all.

****** _Chapter End******_

_Reviews? Thoughts?_


	8. Bitterness

_*****Friday of the Same Week******_

Veronica caught Meg at her locker. For once, Duncan wasn't attached to her side.

"Hey, Meg. How are you doing?" she asked her.

"Okay. I think my morning sickness phase is over," Meg said, shutting her locker.

"That's good," Veronica said. She reached into her messenger bag and pulled out something. "I got the nannycam for you."

"You did? Thanks!" Meg said eagerly. She looked at the small teddy bear. "Duncan's security guy, CW, is out of town until next week. This will give us something to work with."

"It's fairly easy. There's ten hours of battery life. You just pull out the flash drive," Veronica told her. Then she demonstrated where the hidden compartment was. "Please, don't give this to your sister as a gift. It's not cheap. I borrowed it from my dad's stash of toys. He'll want it back. Just put it some place she won't necessarily notice right away."

"I can pay you for it," Meg offered.

"Not necessary unless something happens to it," Veronica said. "If I were you, I'd get your sister talking to you in her room about the frequency of the closet thing."

"Good idea. I already used my camera phone to take pictures of the closet crawl space. Sunday, I'm supposed to have brunch at Duncan's. He wants us to tell his parents about it," Meg said.

"Well, Celeste isn't the most compassionate person, but Jake won't want his grandchild around Meg's parents. It will be a good idea to get some allies with their kind of pull," Veronica told her.

The bell rang. "Thanks so much, Veronica. I'll see you later," Meg said. She opened her locker again and left the stuffed animal inside.

Veronica noticed that Dick wasn't in her health class. She figured he was at his brother's court date. Veronica still wasn't sure how she felt about the deal Cassidy had worked. On one hand, she wasn't without compassion. She knew that he was badly damaged and the bullying from Dick only made things worse. On the other hand, she didn't see a cushy med spa as much of a punishment. At least that's the kind of facility she pictured Cassidy would end up with. The rich always got less justice or punishment than those with less.

Duncan sat down next to her. "How's things going?" he asked.

"Okay. I gave Meg a nannycam before school," Veronica shared. "She told me you wanted to tell your parents."

"Yeah, I think this is too much for us to handle on our own," Duncan said.

"I agree. If your parents will actually be bothered to go to bat for Meg," Veronica said with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll make them," Duncan said with determination.

Veronica looked at him doubtfully. "You've never been much for standing up to your parents," she commented.

"I know. Maybe if I had done so more when Lilly was alive, she'd still be with us," Duncan said, voicing his private thought for the first time.

Veronica's eyes widened in surprise at his confession. "Duncan, your sister was too headstrong. There was nothing you or I could've ever done to keep her from doing anything," Veronica said.

"Maybe. But we can never know for sure," Duncan said. "I'm going to be a father, Veronica. If I can't stand up for the mother of my child, then I can't imagine I'll be any kind of decent father."

It'd been a long time since Veronica had seen Duncan so passionate about anything. She was glad he was ready to step up for Meg.

"I like seeing you like this," Veronica admitted with a pleased smile.

Duncan gave her a rueful grin. "I know. It's about time," he said. Veronica laughed as their class started.

In another class, Wallace was trying to control his thoughts. The new girl Jackie was smokin' hot! She sat diagonal from him in study hall. His thoughts must've been too transparent because she winked at him. He sighed. "You have a girlfriend," he told himself. However, the lecture he gave himself was forgotten as Jackie turned and spoke to him.

"Are you playing in the basketball game tonight?" Jackie asked him.

"Yes, I am. They reinstated me once it was proven the results were fake. I am drug-free," he said happily.

"Are you a starter?" she asked.

"Yes. Will you be there cheering me on?" he asked with a grin.

"I'll be there, yes. Cheering you on? Well, that remains to be seen," she replied, giving him a coy look.

"Shh! No talking!" the teacher scolded.

Jackie flashed him a grin and turned back around. Wallace sighed again. Damn, that girl was fine!

****** _Lunch******_

Weevil was listening to Mac go on about her newest computer gadget. He loved it when she got so animated. She was mostly serious, and he loved it when she got like this.

He grinned at her. "So are you going to buy it?" he asked.

"Well, I have to save up a bit more," Mac said with a sigh. "Maybe I should come up with another plan to scam some 09ers."

"Now that's always a good plan, in my opinion," Weevil said, grinning.

Wallace joined them. "Hey, are you guys coming to my game tonight?" he asked.

Mac wrinkled her nose. "A basketball game?" Mac asked.

"Yes, a basketball game!" Wallace exclaimed. "Don't you want to watch me do my thing?"

"Yeah, 'cause Weevil is all about school spirit!" Logan said with a smirk.

"Hey, I like spirits," Weevil replied with his own smirks.

"Not the kind I was talking about!" Logan said, chuckling.

Veronica came to the table and sat down next to Logan. "What did you order? I'm starvin'!"

"Look at you. Just a while ago you hated me buying you lunch. Now you're all demanding!" Logan teased.

"Superfly, you comin' to the game tonight?" Wallace asked.

"Of course, I won't miss your return!" Veronica exclaimed. "Where's Hannah?"

"Extra practice," Wallace said.

Logan waved. "Hey, Jackie!" Jackie smiled and sat down next to Wallace. It put her across from Logan.

"How's your first week going?" Logan asked her.

"Good," she said.

"Jackie, have you met Weevil and Mac?" Veronica asked her.

Mac smiled. "Yeah, she had lunch with us the other day when you weren't here," she said.

"So are you going to the game tonight?" Logan asked Jackie.

"Are you?" Jackie asked, smiling.

"Where goes my girl, go I," Logan said, throwing his arm around Veronica's shoulder. He kissed her cheek.

"Then I'll be there," Jackie said, smiling at him and Wallace.

Dick made an appearance. "Hey, guys," he said, sitting on Logan's other side.

Logan turned toward him. "Hey. How'd it go?" he asked.

Dick shrugged. "The court was just a formality. The deal had already been worked," Dick said.

"Did your mom agree to send him close by?" Mac asked.

"She didn't want to. The San Diego place wasn't prestigious enough for her," Dick said sourly.

"She didn't agree?" Logan asked frowning.

"Eventually. I had to do a lot of yelling," Dick said. "We finally agreed to try it out for six months. After his two years is up, he will be on five-year probation."

"So the country club criminal gets to choose where he gets sent?" Weevil asked in disgust.

"Weevil," Mac admonished.

"Don't, Weevil me," Weevil said. "His brother is a rapist and a wanna be murderer. He would've killed several classmates to keep his dirty little secret."

"Shut your mouth about my brother!" Dick said angrily.

"Or what? You gonna drug me and have your homies rape me?" Weevil asked scornfully. "No, wait. You only do that to helpless girls."

"Weevil, it's okay," Veronica said quietly.

"The hell it is," Weevil said, getting to his feet. "I'm not going to pretend what these assholes did to you was okay. Or that two years is enough time."

"He was fourteen. He didn't drug her! She was coming on to every guy there. You weren't there. You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Dick said.

"Dick, that's enough!" Logan said, standing up.

Veronica got up, too. "Stop it! All of you!" she yelled. She glared at Weevil. "I appreciate your support, Weevil. I could've made things worse for Cassidy. My dad and I decided he needed help more than punishment. He's going to get it because he admitted to what he did and even apologized. It's more than I can say for his brother." She gave Dick a look filled with loathing. Then she turned and left.

Logan looked at Weevil. "I don't know how to make things better. You attacking Dick isn't making it better," Logan said in annoyance.

"I'm not going to pretend it's okay. I'm not going to pretend he gets a free pass," Weevil said. He couldn't even look at Mac as he turned and left.

"Dick, make it right with Veronica or stay the hell away from me," Logan said to his friend. He turned in the direction Veronica had gone and went to find her. Dick stalked off in the opposite direction.

Mac and Wallace watched their friends all scatter in different directions. "I hate this!" Mac exclaimed. "Nothing I say or do is right. Weevil hates Dick, and I can't seem to hate him, too."

Wallace looked equally glum. "Yeah, this blows," he agreed.

Jackie had watched all the events unfold with fascinated eyes. It seemed her presence had been forgotten. However, one thing was very clear. There were a lot of ugly secrets going on in this group.

Duncan and Meg appeared. "Where's everyone?" Meg asked, sitting in the space Logan and Veronica had just vacated.

"You really don't want to know," Mac said sadly. How did things become so complicated?

******* _After School******_

Logan knew it wasn't a good sign when Veronica left school before he could take her home. He had caught up to her after lunch, but she insisted she didn't want to talk about Dick. She claimed not to be mad at him, but she'd been distant the rest of the afternoon.

He headed home in a sour mood, and Lettie noticed.

"Why are we so glum today?" Lettie asked as she sat in the living room folding clothes.

"Cassidy was sentenced today to two years in a mental facility," Logan said.

"Do you think two years is enough time to help such a lost boy?" Lettie asked.

"I don't know. It's good that he's getting help. Weevil doesn't think it is, though. He keeps picking fights with Dick. Dick and I have been friends our entire lives. I hate this!" Logan complained.

"Eli is very protective of women," Lettie said.

"So am I!" Logan said defensively. "But Dick didn't know Veronica was drugged. He didn't think his brother would actually bother Veronica. Not to mention my treatment of her is the reason he thought it was okay to begin with. I'm the real culprit here."

"Does Veronica think that?" Lettie asked.

"I don't know. She says she doesn't blame me, but how can she not?" Logan asked in disgust. " _I_ blame me."

"It's good that you acknowledge your part in what happened to her. It's also good that you've learned from it," Lettie said. "It looks like your friend Dick needs to learn something, too."

"I think he has, but he feels really guilty about what all happened to his brother and goes on the attack when Weevil bad mouths his brother," Logan said.

"It's not surprising that he'd take up for his brother," Lettie said. "How is Veronica?"

Logan shrugged. "She says she's okay, but she's tired of talking about it. Mostly she's pissed at Dick," Logan said.

"As she should be," Weevil said from behind Logan. He had come in through the kitchen. "The fact that you're not blows my mind. She's supposed to be _your_ girlfriend!"

"Dick is sick with guilt, so he's not going to let you or anyone attack his brother," Logan said.

"I don't get how you can be friends with him," Weevil said.

"Well, I don't get how you and I can be friends, yet it seems that we are," Logan pointed out. "I told Dick to make it right with Veronica or stay away from me. What more do you want from me? Do you think I'm happy about any of this?"

"Eli, attacking Logan isn't going to help anything," Lettie said. "You are making things more difficult for him. I won't have you two fighting about this. Veronica needs your support, not your bickering."

"I can't stand the sight of Dick, so I can imagine how much worse it is for Veronica," Weevil said.

Logan stood up. "She's my girlfriend. Not yours. You don't need to worry about her. I will," Logan said sourly. "Everything isn't always black and white. I'm just as much to blame for what happened to her. You seem to forget that. I hate myself much more than I could ever hate Dick or his brother."

Lettie and Weevil watched Logan go to his room. "Eli, I don't know why you insist on attacking Logan. This is difficult for him. Do you not see that? He's caught in the middle," Lettie said.

"That's what I don't get. How can he be in the middle? If he loves Veronica, he should firmly be on her side," Weevil pointed out.

"He is. But it's clear that he can't be angry at his friend when he feels that he is not to blame. Logan blames himself," Lettie said.

"He never told them to rape Veronica," Weevil said.

"Yes. But sometimes people are capable of horrible things. Things we couldn't imagine," Lettie said. "It's obvious that Dick did not believe his brother was capable of truly hurting Veronica any more than he thought his brother was capable of murder. He's lost a lot in this, too. Attacking him isn't going to make things better for anyone."

Weevil knew she had a point, but his hatred for the elitism that ran deep in Neptune didn't allow him to be very compassionate.

_******The Basketball Game******_

Veronica wasn't really in the mood to cheer on Wallace, but she could fake it. She saw Duncan and Meg sitting next to Mac, so she walked up the steps and sat down on Mac's other side. The game had already started.

"Hey," Veronica said, greeting her friends.

"Are you okay?" Meg asked in concern.

"Yeah, I just want to forget about Shelly Pomroy's party and move on with my life, but no one else seems to want to let me," she said glumly.

"You know Cassidy's plea will be a matter of public record. Soon the entire school's going to know what he did," Duncan said.

Veronica groaned. "That's the last thing I need!" she exclaimed.

Jackie appeared. "Can I join you guys?" she asked.

"Sure," Veronica said, giving her a friendly smile. "Have a seat."

"Are you saving a spot for your boyfriend?" Jackie asked.

Veronica shrugged. "If he shows," Veronica said. She turned to Mac. "Is Weevil coming?"

"I don't think so," Mac said with a frown. She hadn't talked to him since lunch. He'd sent her a text saying he didn't need a ride home. She was starting to get pissed at his behavior. However, she wasn't going to call him. "He's being an ass."

Veronica rolled her eyes. "He's a guy," she said.

"Hey!" Duncan said. "We're not all asses."

"That's true. Ass doesn't really describe you most of the time," Veronica said, smiling.

"Well, I've thought he was a time or two," Meg said. Duncan winced at her pointed jab.

"You guys seem to have a lot going on," Jackie observed.

Veronica realized the new girl was privy to a lot of personal information about her. "Sorry, we've been airing so much of our dirty laundry in front of you," Veronica said.

"It's okay. We all got it," Jackie said.

"Wallace just scored a basket," Duncan said.

"We need to start paying attention," Mac said.

"So how serious is Wallace and that sophomore?" Jackie asked.

"They haven't been dating long," Veronica said. "But he really likes her. She's sweet."

"And hasn't run screaming from all the drama," Meg added.

Jackie gave the cheerleading a considering look. She was on the floor down below cheering on Wallace. "I'm not the cheerleading type," she said.

"Neither am I," Veronica said. "But I was on the pep squad my freshman year. It wasn't too bad."

"I have trouble picturing that," Jackie replied.

"She was great," Meg said loyally.

"My sister, Lilly bullied her into it," Duncan added, smiling at the memory. Lilly didn't have school spirit. She just liked having an excuse to hit on guys.

"Your sister? Have I met her?" Jackie asked. She felt very uncomfortable as her new friends looked aghast at her. Duncan looked away, so Meg reached out and took his hand.

"She's not with us anymore," Veronica answered grimly. "She died close to two years ago now."

"Oh, God! I'm sorry. I didn't know!" Jackie said, a bit horrified at her gaffe.

"It's old news by now, I guess," Veronica said sadly. "She was my best friend. She was a year older than us."

Jackie decided it was best not to say anything more. It was obvious the topic of Lilly Kane was not one she should bring up with them again. She had a feeling there was a lot more to the story. Two years ago, her own life had been such a mess that she'd not paid much attention to the news or celebrity gossip. The Kanes had a lot of money, so she figured it had probably been a big story.

"There's Logan and Weevil," Meg said, noticing them coming in the gym. They were looking around, so Meg waved her hand. Logan spotted her and pointed them out to Weevil.

Mac decided to go down and meet Weevil. "Logan can have my spot," Mac said. She got up and maneuvered down the steps. Logan and Weevil were about to walk up and stopped when they saw Mac coming down.

"Tired of the game already?" Logan asked with a grin.

"I thought I'd get something to drink," Mac said, looking pointedly at Weevil.

"I'll go with you," Weevil offered. He followed her out of the gym.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Mac said to him when they could finally hear themselves.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't call you," he said.

"Why didn't you?" she asked, not in the mood to let him off easy.

"I was in a bad mood and didn't want to talk to anyone," Weevil admitted.

"What's changed?" Mac asked.

"I talked to my grandmother. I hate that 09ers get away with so much shit in this town, but I know this mess isn't so cut and dry," Weevil admitted.

"This isn't easy on anyone. I hate what happened to Veronica. But I also hate what happened to Cassidy, and yes, Dick isn't innocent either. I know that. I just don't see how it helps anyone for you to keep fighting with him about it," Mac said in annoyance.

"Yeah, I know. Maybe we shouldn't eat lunch with everyone," Weevil suggested.

"That's fine. I don't want my lunch ruined every day with fighting," Mac said crossly. She walked to the concession stand.

Weevil reached out and took her hand, causing her to stop and look at him. "I really am thirsty," she said.

"Okay. I just don't want this mess to cause problems with us," Weevil said.

"Then quit being an ass," Mac said pointedly. She pulled her hand away and walked to the concession stand.

Weevil sighed. It looked like he'd made a mess of things.

Not far away, Logan was trying to break through Veronica's ice and not having much luck.

"So how's Wallace doing?" he asked her.

"Good. I think he's scored some points," Veronica said.

"You think? You know he'll expect you to know," Logan said, grinning.

Veronica shrugged. "Well, we were talking," she said, barely looking at him.

"When's your dad coming back?" Meg asked.

"Next week, I think," Veronica answered.

They watched the game in silence for a while. Logan looked at Duncan, who shrugged. Duncan didn't know how to help his friend.

Weevil and Mac soon joined them again. They sat in the row in front of them.

When half time arrived, Logan asked Veronica if she wanted any snacks. She gave him a list.

"Weevil, come help me carry," Logan ordered.

"Do you want a pretzel?" Weevil asked Mac.

"Sure," she said. When they left, Mac moved back and sat in Logan's spot.

Duncan and Meg left to get some food. "I'm sorry," Mac said to Veronica.

"For what?" Veronica asked.

"For Dick. The entire mess," Mac said.

"Hey, you're not in any way responsible for Dick. Nor should you be apologizing for him," Veronica said.

"Well, I'm sorry for Weevil," Mac said.

"Weevil hates the 09ers more than I do. It doesn't take much to get him angry with them," Veronica said. "It's a miracle he and Logan get along as well as they do."

"True. I just hate all the fighting," Mac said glumly.

"I have a feeling things are going to get worse before they get better," Veronica said with a sigh.

The men in question were arguing over who was going to carry what when Jackie came up to them.

"Need a hand?" she offered.

Logan gave her one of the drinks to carry. "Hey, thanks," he said. "Did you want something?"

"I was going to get a coke," she replied.

"Let me," Logan said. He turned to Weevil. "I'll be right there." Weevil shrugged and head back to the seats.

"So you and Veronica seem to be having some problems," Jackie observed.

"Not really. She's just working through some things," Logan said. He put the newly ordered drink in her open hand, and they walk toward the gym.

"It might help if you gave her some space," Jackie said. "I know when I'm trying to work through things I don't like when people hoover."

"You think?" Logan asked. He didn't know exactly what Veronica needed.

"You don't want to suffocate her," Jackie said.

They walked through the gym doors. "Very true," Logan said, smiling at her.

"So do you have any single friends?" Jackie asked, flashing him a flirty smile.

"Dick's single," Logan said with a smirk.

Jackie wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Ah, no thanks," she said.

Logan laughed. Then he started naming off guys in the school.

Veronica watched Logan's progress with Jackie. She seemed to have captured his attention.

Weevil handed Mac a pretzel and asked, "So are you not sitting by me now?"

Mac got up. "I was just talking to Veronica," she said quickly. "Thanks for the pretzel."

He gave her a drink. "Thought you'd get thirsty," he said. He had noticed she'd already emptied the bottle of water she bought.

"Thanks," she said, feeling guilty for being cool toward him. She sat back down next to him.

Logan and Jackie arrived and resumed their seats. "Jackie was nice enough to help carry your drink," Logan said.

"Thanks," Veronica told her.

"Your generous boyfriend was nice enough to buy me one, too," Jackie said, smiling toward Logan.

Veronica glanced at Logan. "Yeah, he's generous all right," she said.

Logan frowned. "Why didn't that sound like a compliment?" he asked.

Veronica ignored him and clapped and yelled as Wallace came back on the court. He looked up and waved at her.

"Are you mad at me?" Logan asked her.

"No, I'm not," she said. And she wasn't. She just felt out of sorts, and Logan's constant prodding wasn't helping. "I wish you'd back off some, though. I need to work through some things. It's not really about you."

Logan looked over at Jackie who gave him an _I told you so_ look. "Okay. Whatever you need," he said quietly. He knew that it wasn't fair for him to expect her to just be happy about everything—he just didn't want to lose her.

Veronica gave Logan an apologetic look. "Thanks," she said. She reached over and grabbed his hand. Her feelings were all over the place, but she didn't want to lose him.

_******Chapter End******_

_Comments remind me to post a new chapter as this story is completely written. Thanks!_


	9. Working Through Things

****** _Monday******_

Veronica went into school Monday morning feeling a variety of things. Wallace glanced at her. She was too quiet. "What's going on in that busy little brain of yours?" he asked as they got out of her car.

"Little?" she scoffed. "There's nothing little about my brain!"

Wallace grinned. "You're too quiet this morning. Is everything okay?" he asked.

"I think so. I'm happy Dad's coming back today," she said.

"But?" Wallace prodded.

"But Logan didn't call or text me all weekend," she shared.

"Did you call him?" he asked.

"No. He always calls," she said with a frown.

"Veronica Mars, I thought you of all women were not so old fashioned!" Wallace said in a scandalized tone. "Maybe he's tired of doing all the work. Didn't you tell him you needed space?"

She gave him a penetrating look. "How did you know that? I never told you that!" she said.

"Well, I talked to Jackie Saturday," he admitted. "She was sitting next to you guys at the game."

"You talked to Jackie? What are you doing talking to Jackie? Does Hannah know?" Veronica asked pointedly.

"There's no law against talking to another woman. Besides, I'm not going to let you change the subject," he said firmly.

Veronica looked away. "All this stuff with Cassidy and Dick has brought up things I was trying hard to forget. Logan's always looking at me with these guilt stricken eyes. He wants me to just be okay, and I'm trying. But when I see Dick, I want to commit real violence," Veronica shared.

Wallace sighed, hating that things were so hard for his best friend. "Dick's an idiot. You know that. Don't let him bother you," Wallace said. "I think he feels so guilty about the way he treated his brother that he's taking it out on you. Just stay away from him."

"That's the problem. I can't seem to do that since I'm dating his best friend," Veronica said glumly. They made it to the front of the school, and she felt more eyes on her than normal. There was a lot of whispering and even looks of sympathy from a few students. Then a guy walked by and said loudly to his friend, "'I was drugged!' is was the sluts are saying these days!" His friend laughed. Veronica gave the guy a sharp look. Suspicious, she headed to her locker.

Wallace trailed after her. Taped to her locker was a newspaper with the heading "From Victim to Rapist". Veronica ripped it off and scanned the article. There in black and white was her name in connection to Cassidy Casablancas. She groaned and showed it to Wallace.

Wallace read the article. "A source close to Veronica Mars was quoted as saying, 'Veronica is obviously devastated by what happened to her and would like to move on with her life,'" Wallace read aloud.

"What?" Veronica asked, grabbing the paper back from him and reading it more carefully. "Did a reporter talk to you?"

Wallace looked surprised. "No, of course not. I would've told you. I haven't seen any around," Wallace said.

"It wasn't a matter of public record until the deal was filed and sealed on Friday," Veronica shared.

She saw Logan walking down the hall talking to Jackie. He stopped when he saw her. "Hey. How's it going?" he asked.

"How's it going? How's it going?" Veronica asked twice, unable to wrap her mind around his cavalier behavior. "This is how it's going!" She shoved the paper at him. He gave her a puzzled look and read the article. Jackie leaned close and read over his shoulder.

Logan looked at her in concern. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'm still in shock," she said with a grimace. She knew the news was bound to get out, but it still managed to surprise her somehow.

"Hey, Veronica!" a guy shouted. "We're having a party this weekend. Hope you can make it!" His friends laughed like he'd told the funniest joke.

Logan turned to the guy and started to charge him when Veronica grabbed his arm to hold him back. However, she didn't think to grab Wallace. He wasn't about to let her be harassed over her rape and went up to the guy, shoving him hard in the chest. The guy fell hard against a locker.

Logan pulled loose from Veronica and went to back up Wallace. Several guys in Letterman jackets were standing near the guy Wallace was arguing with.

"Steve, if you say another word about Veronica again, I'll make sure you can't wrestle the rest of the season," Wallace was saying to the guy.

The guy shoved Wallace back. "I'm not afraid of you, Fennel. You're a lightweight! Your pal Veronica likes to get drunk at parties and come on to any guy around. Then she has the nerve to cry rape! I was at that party. She wanted it, and everyone knew it! Dick's little brother would never rape a girl! He barely even talks to any!" Steve said angrily.

Before Wallace could respond, Logan inserted himself between the two men, standing toe to toe to the guy. "Listen up, you dumb meathead. That's my girlfriend, you're slandering!" Then Logan hit the guy hard in the stomach and another hit to his jaw. The fight was about to escalate before Duncan and Luke appeared and pulled the two guys apart. Duncan eyed the jocks. "I suggest you guys stop whatever crap you're starting with my friends," Duncan said.

"They're saying crap about Veronica and Beav," Logan said angrily.

Understanding, Duncan gave the guys a disgusted look. "I'd think very carefully, boys, before you start spreading any rumors or saying comments to Veronica," Duncan said coldly.

"You knocked up the Virgin Queen, Kane. Maybe we don't care anymore what you have to say," another guy said. There were a few murmured agreements.

Wallace, Duncan, and Logan were at a stand off with several members of the wrestling team when Dick and several more 09ers appeared. "Dudes, what's going on?" Dick asked. It was obvious that he knew the guys Veronica didn't. She knew faces but hadn't bothered learning any new names since Lilly died—at least not any more 09ers. The only jock worth knowing, in her opinion, was Wallace.

"Veronica Mars is crying rape, Dick. Your brother is a fall guy," one of the guys said. He shot Veronica a malevolent look.

Veronica stood off to the side watching the showdown in disbelief. Mac and Weevil appeared. Mac went to her side as Weevil stepped up to Logan. "Is there a problem?" Weevil asked him.

"Just some dumb jocks that don't know their place," Logan said with a scoff.

"Your reign's being challenged? And it's not even my birthday," Weevil said, grinning. Logan smirked at him and waited for Dick's response.

Dick looked at Logan and then glanced back at Veronica. His eyes, for once, were veiled. "Dudes, I appreciate the support, but it's okay. My brother admitted to what he did. He didn't know someone had slipped Ronnie a roofie, but he knew she was too out of it to give her permission. It wasn't cool. He's paying for it," Dick said. The guys looked surprised as did Veronica.

"You sure, dude?" one of the guys asked him.

Logan was getting pissed and stepped up. "I don't give a damn if he's sure or not! Anyone says another word to Veronica, and they'll answer to me!" Logan said angrily.

Weevil stepped up next to him and glared at the guys. "And me," he said.

The school as a whole was still coming to terms with Logan's new found friendship with the former PCHer. However, when the rest of the 09ers stood behind them, the wrestling team nodded at Dick and turned and walked off.

The 09ers started to disperse. Weevil gave Dick a dismissive look and walked toward Veronica.

"Don't take any crap from these assholes," he told her.

"I don't intend to but thanks," she told him. He nodded and reached for Mac's hand.

"I'll see you at lunch," Mac said to Veronica before walking off with Weevil.

Duncan told Dick that the news about Cassidy was in the paper. Dick nodded, not surprised. He walked toward Veronica, who braced herself for whatever he was going to say.

Jackie and Wallace were still watching the drama unfold as Dick stopped in front of Veronica.

"Dick," Logan said, warning Dick.

"Relax, dude. I get it. I know this isn't Ronnie's fault. It's mine and my dad's," Dick said. He looked at Veronica. "We never treated Beav very good, and then that perv coach messed him up even more. I didn't realize how messed up he was. I swear, I didn't believe he'd actually touch you that night at the party when I left him in that room with you. I know it can't change anything now, but I'm sorry for what he did and my part in it."

Veronica was surprised by Dick's sincerity but relieved. She didn't need to constantly fight with Logan's friend, not if she was going to date him. "Thanks for saying it," she told Dick. The bell rang. Wallace and Jackie turned to go to their lockers. Duncan slapped Dick on the shoulder and walked off, too. Dick turned to leave. "I'll be right back," Logan told Veronica, who nodded as she opened her locker to grab her books.

"Dick, wait up!" Logan called out. Dick stopped and looked at him. "Thanks, dude, for doing that."

"I'm sorry for being a pain," Dick told him. "I know that Duncan's your best friend, but you've always been mine. I don't want to lose you now that I've lost my dad and my brother. Things suck enough." Before Logan could figure out how to reply to that, he turned and walked into a classroom.

Logan slowly turned and walked back to Veronica, who was waiting at her locker.

"That could've been worse," Veronica said.

"Tell me about it," Logan said, smiling at her. "Friday, I told Dick that we couldn't hang out if he didn't stop making things worse for you."

Veronica gave him a small smile. "I don't need you to fight my battles, but I appreciate you dealing with Dick. I know he's your friend," she said.

"Yes, but he's not the one I'm in love with," Logan said, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers together.

Her smile widened. "I thought maybe you were reconsidering that. I'm a lot of work," she said.

"True. I bore easily, though, so it works for me," he replied, giving her a wolfish grin.

Veronica laughed as the tardy bell rang. "We're late," she said.

"I don't care," he said, pulling her toward the girls’ bathroom. When they were inside, he glanced around to make sure it was empty. Then he wedged it shut and turned to face her. "I missed you this weekend."

"You didn't call," she said, a small note of accusation in her tone.

"You told me you wanted space," he reminded her.

She sighed. "I know I did. My emotions seem to be all over the place these days. I know I hate feeling pushed to be okay with everything. I know I hate when you hoover sometimes, but I don't want you to not be there. You matter too much to me," she said sincerely.

"I do?" he asked, boxing her in with one arm on her shoulder, the other on the wall behind her. He smiled down at her, glad she was opening up to him and not pushing him away.

"Yes," she said softly. "I'm not ready for things to be over with us."

"That's good because I have no intention of letting you get rid of me so easily," he said. Then he leaned down to fuse their lips together. Her arms went around his neck as he kissed her passionately, all his longing for her the past few days spilling out into the kiss. She returned the kiss with equal passion—she loved kissing him.

Eventually, he broke off for air and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavy. "I guess we should go to class," he said reluctantly.

"We can continue this later," she told him smiling.

"Lunch?" he asked eagerly. She laughed and nodded. He kissed her one last, lingering time before letting her out of the bathroom. Reluctantly, she let go of his hand and walked to her first class.

***** _Lunch*****_

Logan made a point of ordering lunch for him and Veronica at the beginning of his class before lunch. He even used a promise of a hefty tip to have the lunch waiting by his car since it was so easy to spot in the land of convertibles in their school parking lot. When he went outside, he found Veronica sitting with Mac and Weevil. They were discussing the newspaper article.

"I haven't had any reporters talk to me," Mac was saying.

"I'm going by the newspaper's office after school and track down the writer of the article. I want to know who this so called source is," Veronica said in displeasure.

Logan sat down next her. "Just be glad the so-called friend didn't say anything else. The quote wasn't too bad," he said.

"It doesn't matter. I didn't say it to anyone. Someone presumed to speak for me and that really ticks me off," Veronica said.

Logan stood up and grabbed her hand. "Well, I have something that will put you in a better mood," he said, grinning. He looked at Mac and Weevil. "Sorry, guys. We'll catch you later!"

"Glad they're okay. Logan was like a lost puppy all weekend," Weevil said with a snicker.

"Why is that?" Mac asked.

"Veronica told him to give her space, so he didn't call, text, or email her for two entire days," Weevil said, grinning.

Mac laughed. "He actually lasted that long?" she asked in disbelief.

"I kept him busy working on my car," Weevil said smugly. "It's almost ready to drive."

"Logan is a mechanic?" Mac asked in surprise.

"No. I am, bput he's a quick learner. He remembers _everything_ I tell him. It's kind of uncanny," Weevil said in bemusement.

"Well, he reads a lot. I know his grades are not like Duncan's or Veronica's, but I think that's lack of caring more than ability," Mac said.

"Why are you not in contention for the Kane scholarship? V's wicked smart, but so are you," Weevil said.

Mac shrugged. "I don't kill myself trying to get all A's. I get A's in class I love and B's in the rest. I've always been okay with that. Test scores are what matter for the Ivy League schools anyway or for some of the biggest scholarships. I'm not too concerned," Mac said.

Weevil grinned. "I love that you're not uptight. I like Veronica, but I'd never want to date her. Logan's always half-crazed," Weevil said.

"Are you saying I can't make you crazy?" Mac asked, not sure how she felt about that.

"Oh, you make me crazy all right, but the good kind of crazy," he said, eying her lasciviously.

"Really?" she asked with interest.

Weevil leaned over and whispered in her ear exactly what he meant. Her face grew hot as she listened. When he stopped, she choked out, "Maybe we should find someplace where you can demonstrate."

Weevil quickly got to his feet—he didn't have to be told twice.

Logan had his mind in a similar spot. After Veronica inhaled the lunch from Lugi's, she gave him a happy grin. "Yum! You're right. That did put me in a better mood," she said.

"Mint?" Logan asked casually. She grabbed it and popped it in her mouth. Logan did the same and then got out of his front seat. Veronica gave him a puzzled look when he opened her passenger door.

"What's up?" she asked. He held out his hand in response. She followed him out of the car and then grinned in understanding when he opened the backdoor. "Ah, I see you have a plan!"

"Always," he said with a smirk as she laughed and crawled into the back of his Xterra. He joined her and wasted no time fusing their mouths together in a hungry kiss. When she pulled back breathing heavy, he held up his cell phone. "I set my alarm for five minutes before the bell rings!"

Veronica laughed. "I do love a man with a plan!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him on top of her as she laid down in the backseat.

******* _After School*******_

Veronica stood next to her car trying to saying goodbye to Logan, but he wasn't making it easy. She broke off the kiss yet again. "Logan, I really gotta go. I want to make dinner for my dad, and I need to stop by the newspaper's office," she told him.

"Okay," he said easily, but he kissed her again. When he felt her melting against him, he finally stopped and stepped back, smiling in satisfaction.

"You are entirely too good at that," Veronica remarked with a sigh. He waved as she got in her car.

A short time later, she pulled into the Neptune Herald's parking lot. Grabbing today's paper, she went inside. At the receptionist desk, she asked to speak to Julie Sterling, the author of the article. The receptionist pointed to a corner desk and Veronica marched over.

"Ms. Sterling, I'm Veronica Mars, and I'd like to ask you a question if I may," she said, using her sweetest voice that mostly worked with all adults who didn't know her.

"Veronica Mars? Really?" the reporter said with interest. "Have a seat," she said, pointing to the seat in front of her desk.

"I was hoping you'd be willing to tell me who your source was in the article," Veronica said, flashing her a winning smile.

"Maybe. If you give me a real quote," the calculating reporter replied.

"What's to say? It happened. It was awful. Cassidy is getting the help he needs," Veronica said simply.

"So you don't hate him?" the reporter asked.

Veronica didn't think talking to the reporter would end well for her, but she knew the wolves would keep coming. She shook her head. "No. I was surprised when I found out it was him. I always liked him and never truly considered him as the one who did it," Veronica said. There was no point in admitting his brother Dick had been her prime suspect.

"So you have no memories of the event?" the reporter asked.

"No, but I pieced it together and his brother found a written confession in his computer. He didn't deny it when we confronted him," Veronica said.

"How did it feel facing your rapist?" the reporter asked.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. It wasn't a pleasant experience. Cassidy is pretty messed up," Veronica said, feeling uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Did he show remorse?"

Veronica pictured the gun Cassidy was holding up to his head that night. She nodded. "Yes. He was bullied into it more than anything else," she admitted.

"Bullied? Someone put him up to it?" the reporter asked, latching on to it.

"Well, I don't think anyone really hoped he'd do it or believed he would. It started out as a joke," Veronica said. "One that backfired."

"Hurting you," the reporter said in understanding.

"Okay, that's enough. Who did you talk to?" Veronica asked.

"I was at the basketball game and saw you with your boyfriend and another girl. I never could catch up to you. But I talked to the girl," the reporter said.

Veronica's eyes widened as realization hit her. "Was the girl African American?" she asked.

"Yes," the reporter replied.

Veronica stood to her feet. "Next time do a better job. I hardly know that girl. She knows very little about me or how I feel about anything," Veronica said. She thanked the reporter and left.

So Jackie thought she could talk to reporters on Veronica's behalf? Veronica got into car, throwing her bag into the passenger seat. Maybe Jackie needed to see what it felt like having her business out there for everyone to read.

****** _Chapter End******_

_ It may be unlikely for Veronica to talk to a reporter, but there's a news coverage in my story that wasn't on the show. I thought it fit well enough as she does like to control things and controlling the narrative seemed plausible. Hope it doesn't make you too crazy.  _


	10. Dirty Laundry

_******Where We Left Off******_

Veronica left the newspaper office and checked the time. There wasn't much time to cook before her dad was due to arrive, so instead, she went to her dad's favorite Chinese place and picked up a variety of his favorites. Alicia was going to pick him up from the airport and bring him home. The time she spent at Wallace's hadn't been too bad, but she did miss her privacy. Their place was too small and there was never enough hot water. She would be glad when they got a bigger place, but it was home. Some day her and Wallace's two families may become one. However, she'd hoped if that day came, she'd be out of the house. Then it wouldn't matter so much the lack of privacy.

A short time later, her dad walked through their front door.

"I'm home!" he called out, holding out his arms. Veronica grinned and ran to embrace him.

"Let me look at you," he said, pulling her away, his hands on her shoulders. "Yep. Pretty as always!"

"You, on the other hand, look exhausted. Jet setting not for you?" she asked with a grin.

Keith sat down on his couch, throwing his legs out in front of him. "No, it is most definitely not! Living out of a suitcase is not fun at all. I don't know how people do that," he said.

"So are we rich?" she asked, sitting down next to him.

He chuckled. "We won't have to declare bankruptcy," he said. "But our book is going to make us enough to cover our medical expenses."

"Well, that's good," she said. "We don't have anything valuable to sell except a kidney or two."

"Luckily, we don't have to go that far," he said.

"Are you hungry? I got us some Chinese," Veronica said, pointing to the kitchen container.

"I'm starved!" he said. He got up and began to look through the boxes. Veronica handed him a plate. As they ate, they exchanged stories of what had happened to them while they were apart. Veronica told him about her day and the news report that came out that day.

"Cook? She's the daughter of Terrance Cook? You're kidding! You gotta get me an autograph! I still have his rookie card!" Keith exclaimed.

"Right now, she's not exactly my favorite person. She talked to the press when she barely knows me," Veronica said sourly.

"Her dad's pretty famous. Maybe she knows ignoring the press doesn't make them stop writing," Keith pointed out.

"It doesn't give her the right to speak for me," Veronica said crossly.

"So I have some news," Keith said when they'd finished eating.

"Good news, I hope," she said. "I don't need any more bad news today!"

Keith grinned. "I think you're going to like this," he said. "Cliff told me that they're going to be indicting Lamb by the end of the month."

"What?" Veronica said in disbelief. "You're kidding!"

"Nope. He's outta of there!" Keith said with smug satisfaction. "He's going to be brought up on corruption charges."

"And definitely removed from office?"

"Absolutely!" Keith said with a grin.

Veronica held up her hand for a high five. "Yes! Finally!" she exclaimed.

"I knew it was just a matter of time after Logan's trial," Keith said with satisfaction.

"So do you think they'll ask you to step in? Would you do it?" Veronica asked.

"Well, since I was actually elected and Don was just appointed to fill my spot, yes. I'd do it," Keith said. "If they're going to ask me, I should know something soon."

"It'd come in handy having you back as sheriff," Veronica said thoughtfully.

Keith eyed her suspiciously. "So what did you do?" he asked.

She gave him a wide-eyed innocent look. "Moi? Nothing! I was actually thinking you could help with Meg and the situation they're going through," Veronica explained. Then she filled him in.

"Wow. That's an ugly situation. When parents have money and influence, it's hard to interfere," Keith said.

"Yeah. Everyone ignored all of Logan's accidents as a child. No kid is that clumsy," she said in disgust.

"It's good that the Kanes are going to support her. They could probably do more to help than I could even if I was sheriff," he said.

"Meg's torn because she wants to protect her baby, but if she's not at home, there's no one to protect her baby sister Grace," Veronica said.

Keith sighed in sympathy. "There's too much ugliness in people, sometimes. Children are a gift. I never have understood why so many parents don't cherish what they've been given," he said. His time in law enforcement showed him way too much of the ugliness families try to hide.

They spent some more time catching up. Veronica updated him on Cassidy's court agreement. Then she went to bed some time later. Instead of going to sleep, she got on her computer, determined to uncover all of Jackie's secrets.

An hour later, she called Mac. "Hey, I've reached a snag in some research and was hoping you could help," Veronica said.

"Sure. Who are you trying to find dirt on?" Mac said as she turned on her laptop.

"Jackie. Jackie Cook," Veronica said grimly.

****** _The Next Day******_

Mac greeted Weevil with a smile as she got out of her car. He was waiting by her usual parking spot. "I see you made it here on time without me," she said. He took her bag from her and slung it over his shoulder and held out his hand.

"Logan wouldn't let me be late even if I wanted to," Weevil said. "If he doesn't drive V to school, he has to be able to see her as soon as humanly possible."

Mac laughed, not surprised. "He's got it bad," Mac said.

"So what did you do last night? You didn't call me back," Weevil inquired.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I got caught up doing research for Veronica. It became more extensive than I thought. I had to break into hospital records," Mac said.

"Isn't that a felony?" Weevil asked.

Mac looked sheepish and shrugged. "What's a little felony between friends?" Mac replied.

Weevil laughed. "You are quite a woman!" he said. "So who's the target?"

"Jackie, the new girl. Veronica found out that she was the one who talked to the reporter," Mac shared.

"Really?" Weevil asked in surprise. "Let me guess. V's out for blood?"

"I hope not. Jackie's got a lot of secrets, though. I'm not sure exactly what Veronica's going to do," Mac said.

They arrived at her locker. She opened it and grabbed her bag from Weevil, exchanging some books. She shut her locker and turned to Weevil. "See you at lunch?" she asked him.

"I hope so," he said with a grin. He gave her a soft kiss, causing her to flush and glance around to see if anyone was paying them attention. Chuckling at her hint of shyness, he kissed her cheek. "Relax. No one cares about us. Not in this school anyway."

She smiled. "Well, a few do. But you're right. No one cares that we're dating," she said with a rueful grin. It was still strange for her to have a boyfriend. PDA didn't come naturally to her yet.

"I care," he said. "Who else matters?"

Mac laughed and said goodbye as he headed to his own locker. She saw Dick at his locker and walked up to him. "Hey," she said.

Dick grabbed his book for class and shut his locker. He looked at Mac. "Hey," he said.

"How are you doing?" Mac asked.

Dick shrugged. "Okay, I guess," he said.

"I think it was really great what you did yesterday," Mac said.

Dick frowned in confusion. "What did I do?" he asked.

"You diffused the situation yesterday with Logan, Wallace, and those guys," Mac reminded him. "You apologized to Veronica." She had been most happy about that part. It sucked wanting to be his friend when he seemed to go out of his way to hurt Veronica.

"Oh. Well, Logan told me if I didn't, we couldn't be friends," Dick said. "He's one of the few people in my life that gives a damn about me."

"So you didn't mean it?" Mac asked, frowning.

"I guess, I did," Dick said. He rubbed a hand over his face. Sleep didn't come easy these days. "I know Veronica isn't to blame for what's happening with my brother. I know what happened to her wasn't right. It's my fault much more than Cassidy's. I was a horrible brother. It's easier to blame her than to keep hating myself the way I do."

He looked so miserable that Mac couldn't help but feel bad for him. She reached out and squeezed his arm. "Your brother loves you. We all make mistakes. It's how we learn from them that matters," she said.

The bell rang. "Hang in there, Dick. Things will get better," she told him.

Dick watched her wistfully. Mac was so good to him. He didn't understand why. He didn't deserve her kindness or her compassion, but it made him feel good knowing that she cared.

Veronica was sitting in her first period class trying to focus but unable to. Her mind was full of all the facts she'd uncovered about Jackie. It was much more than she'd expected. She wasn't quite sure yet the move she needed to make.

When she walked into Mr. Wu's class a bit later, she saw Jackie chatting with Wallace, obviously flirting. Wallace was sitting sideways in his desk facing her. Veronica sat down in the seat in front of him like she normally did.

"Hey, Superfly! How's your pops? Glad to be back?" Wallace asked.

"Yes, he is. Traveling so much isn't his thing," Veronica said, ignoring Jackie. "He did give me some good news."

"Is his book on the best sellers list?" Wallace asked.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure, but it _is_ selling. However, this news is even better," Veronica said happily. "Lamb is going to be removed from office."

"Who's that?" Jackie asked curiously.

When Veronica didn't answer, Wallace explained, "He's our corrupt sheriff. Veronica's dad used to be sheriff and was removed from office when he asked too many questions about Lilly Kane's murder."

"Wallace!" Veronica said with a glare. She didn't want this girl knowing more about her personal business than she already did.

"Relax. It's old news," he said.

"Yes, but it's _my_ news," she said pointedly.

The second bell rang cutting off their discussion. She ignored Wallace's questioning look. Now wasn't the time to explain.

****** _Lunch Time******_

Veronica saw Duncan put his arm around an upset Meg. She walked toward them in concern. Sitting down across from them, she asked, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"We told my parents about what was going on at her house. Meg showed them pictures of the closet space where they were forcing Grace to be in," Duncan shared. "Dad was horrified. Even Mom seen disgusted by what she heard."

"Well, I'm glad they reacted that way. It means they believed you," Veronica said.

"Dad wants Meg to move out now and get herself emancipated," Duncan said. "He already called his attorney."

"That's a good idea," Veronica said. "The sooner you don't have to depend on them the better."

How could Meg explain how little she wanted to lean too much on Duncan? What if he abandoned her again? What if she just replaced one controlling set of parents for another? She wasn't so sure it was a good idea to depend too much on Duncan's parents. However, she may not have much of a choice.

"I guess," she said unhappily. "I just don't want to move into his parents' house."

"I told you. Mom said you can stay in the pool house. It'll give you some measure of privacy. There's a small second room that will be perfect for a nursery," Duncan said.

"What about Grace?" Meg asked. "How can I leave her?"

"Have you called your aunt? The one you said would help you?" Veronica asked. "Why don't you call and talk to her about Grace. Get her on board to take Grace and Liz."

Meg nodded. "That's a good idea," she said.

Logan appeared and sat down next to Veronica. He handed her a burrito and a bottle of Coke. "What's up, guys?" he asked. Duncan told him what they were discussing.

"Get out while you can," Logan advised. He wished he'd had someone to turn to that could've rescued him from his dad.

Wallace and Hannah joined them. "I think I flunked my history quiz," Wallace said glumly as he sat down.

"Maybe you should've studied more," Veronica said with a smirk.

"I tried. Hannah distracted me last night," Wallace said, grinning at her. She blushed and looked down at her hands.

Veronica smiled at them, finding them too adorable for words. "So I found out who talked to the reporter," Veronica announced to her friends.

"Who was it?" Wallace asked.

"Our new friend Jackie," Veronica said grimly. Both Logan and Wallace looked surprised.

"Well, she's new. She probably didn't know any better," Logan said.

Veronica looked at him and frowned. "I can't believe you're making excuses for her!" Veronica exclaimed in outrage.

"What she said to the reporter wasn't that bad," Wallace said. "Maybe she didn't even know she was talking to a reporter."

Veronica saw the girl they were talking about approaching them. She grabbed a chair from the next table and moved it to the end of the table. It put Logan on her left side and Hannah on her right side.

"Hey! How's everything going?" Jackie asked with a friendly smile.

"Well, I was just telling everyone here how it was you that talked about me to the reporter," Veronica said with a fake smile.

"What? I didn't talk to a reporter!" Jackie said defensively.

"Really? That's how you're going to play this?" Veronica asked in annoyance. "The guys may buy your innocent act, but I know a fake when I see one."

Jackie didn't appreciate Veronica's attack and gave her a cold look. "I'm not sure what the big deal is. A reporter came up to me and asked me a question. I figured answering with something vague and non-specific was better than no comment. The reporter would've just kept asking. Eventually, someone would've start wondering why a reporter was asking about you and Cassidy," Jackie said.

"How would you like it if your dirty laundry was printed in the paper for everyone to read?" Veronica asked archly.

"What are you talking about?" Jackie asked, confident that Veronica was just trying to make a point. There was no way the girl could actually know anything about Jackie.

"How about an article detailing your arrest for drug possession in Brooklyn? You are not from the Upper East Side like you like to pretend," Veronica said smugly.

Jackie's mouth fell open in dismay. A sick feeling came over her. How many of her secrets did Veronica know?

****** _TO Be Continued*****_

_Comments are very nice. Thanks!_


	11. The Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated “M" for mature due to scene at end.

******* _Same Time and Place*******_

"How would you like it if your dirty laundry was printed in the paper for everyone to read?" Veronica asked archly.

"What are you talking about?" Jackie asked, confident that Veronica was just trying to make a point. There was no way the girl could actually know anything about Jackie.

"How about an article detailing your arrest for drug possession in Brooklyn? You are not from the Upper East Side like you like to pretend," Veronica said smugly. This girl was going to learn not to presume she had the right to butt into Veronica's life.

"How would you know that? Those records were sealed!" Jackie asked in dismay.

"Yeah, well, my dad's a P.I. and there's not much I can't uncover," Veronica said with a satisfied smirk.

"You had no right to go digging through my life!" Jackie said in angry outrage.

"I had every right!" Veronica shot back. "You blabbed about my personal life to a reporter. You don't even know me."

"I didn't dig up anything on you or reveal _anything_ personal! You guys are the ones spilling your business right in front of me!" Jackie exclaimed. She got up. "I'm new here. I wasn't trying to hurt you. I know what it's like to have your business out there for everyone to gossip about. What I said to the reporter was tactfully framed to not reveal much and dissuade further questioning. I thought I was doing you a favor! You, on the other hand, are a malicious bitch!" She gave Veronica a disgusted look then turned and stormed off.

Veronica angrily got to her feet about to go after the girl. Logan grabbed her arm. "Down, Bobcat! I think you should call it a draw!" he advised.

"Gee, Veronica. Did you have to go for the jugular like that? Couldn't you have just asked her why she talked to the reporter?" Wallace asked in disapproval. "Don't you have enough people hating you?"

"That's not fair, Wallace! You know how much I hate anyone knowing my business on a good day. Thanks to the ugliness the past weeks, my very private business is now a matter of public record," Veronica said defensively. "This new girl took it upon herself to speak on my behalf. She and I haven't even had an actual real conversation!"

"She made a mistake. You don't have to always assume the worse in people, Veronica. Sometimes, people may surprise you if you give them a chance," Wallace said.

"Not in the world I live in," Veronica said grimly.

Hannah reached out and put her hand over Wallace's on the table. "It's bad enough that Veronica went through such a terrible thing. She doesn't need people who pretend to be her friend talking for her to reporters," Hannah said.

Veronica gave Wallace's girlfriend a grateful look. "Thank you, Hannah. Glad someone's on my side!" Veronica said.

"I'm always on your side, Veronica. You know that," Wallace said with a frown at her words.

"It doesn't feel like it," she said disgruntled. She looked at Logan who had remained curiously silent during this exchange. "What do you think?"

"Me? I hate reporters. You know that," he said.

Veronica rolled her eyes as his evasiveness. "Not what I was asking," she said sourly.

"I don't have much else to say," he said with a shrug. He wasn't about to get in the middle of mean girl drama. "I get why you're pissed. I'd be pissed if I were you. But she's new. She doesn't know you. I guess, she'll learn."

"She better," Veronica said glumly.

"Eat your lunch before it gets too cold and gross," Logan said, hoping to distract her.

Wallace laughed knowingly. "Smart," he said to Logan. He knew Logan well enough to know that if he truly felt Veronica was the victim he go out of his way to punish Jackie himself. However, he didn't want to upset her, and Wallace didn't either. It was just sometimes he thought she made things entirely too difficult for no good reason.

****** _After School******_

Wallace was on the way to the gym for practice when he saw Jackie at her locker. He stopped to talk to her.

"Hey," he said. She looked up at him and didn't saying anything. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she said in a clipped voice. Then she slammed her locker shut. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to see if you were okay. I know you weren't trying to hurt Veronica, but you got to understand that Lilly Kane was the Queen Bee in this school and Veronica her best friend. Then when she was murdered, the entire school, including Logan, turned on her. I only moved here last year, and you wouldn't believe the things I've heard about her," Wallace said. "So she's always in defense mode. It's how she survived."

"That doesn't give her any right to go prying into my life," Jackie said sourly. "I didn't pry into hers. You guys have been talking in front of me. I can't help but hear. Only knowing what I know, I realize how bad things have been for her. But things were really bad for me back in New York. I made a lot of mistakes. I came here to have one year of fun before I have to go back to my real life. I should've known better."

"I gotta go to practice. Will you meet me later? I want to talk more," Wallace said.

Hannah came around the corner and saw Wallace leaning against a locker talking to the new girl. The very attractive and charismatic new girl. She frowned, not knowing how to proceed. She was two years younger than both of them. Wallace was so great, and she liked him a lot. She didn't want to lose him to Jackie. There had to be a way to make them closer, so he wouldn't care so much about Jackie.

She slowly walked down the hall and heard Wallace make plans to see Jackie. Although she felt like crying, she walked quickly so she could catch up to him. "Wallace!" she called out.

He stopped and smiled when he saw her. He didn't look guilty. Maybe she was misunderstanding.

"I'm running late," he said.

"Will you come over my place later? I want to talk to you," she said.

"I can't," he said, not explaining why.

"Fine. Let me know when you can fit me in," she said in annoyance. She walked away, her head held high. It was clear that he had made plans to be with Jackie later.

Wallace chased after her. "Hey, don't be mad. I just have something to do after practice," he said.

"Yeah, I know. I saw you talking to Jackie," she said, hurt. "I thought _I_ was your girlfriend. If you don't want to be with me anymore, you should tell me. I don't date guys who sneak around with other girls behind my back. I'm not that desperate."

Wallace's eyes widened in surprise at her words. "Of course, I want to be with you!" he exclaimed. "Don't be like that!"

Hannah sighed. She didn't want him to lose him to Jackie. "I'm sorry," she said. "Call me later." She forced a small smile and walked toward the exit.

She saw Veronica and Mac, but she didn't stop to talk. She waved and kept walking.

Veronica waved at Hannah. "She looks upset," Mac observed.

"Well, I can guess why. Jackie," Veronica said. "Wallace is entirely too taken with her. At lunch, he was totally defending her for talking to the reporter."

"You know Wallace. He sees the best in everyone. He's even nice to Dick and Weevil," Mac pointed out.

Veronica laughed. "True. Did you hear the good news yet?" Veronica asked and shared the news about Don Lamb's upcoming troubles.

"Do you think your dad will be sheriff again?" Mac wondered.

"Possibly. I hope so. Things in this town were much better then," Veronica said.

"Yes, but you'll have to quit with your law bending," Mac said with a knowing grin.

"Don't you mean _your_ law bending? I'm not the one hacking into sealed records!" Veronica said, gleefully.

"Oh, so that's how it is? You're going to hang me out to dry!" Mac exclaimed with grin. "I still can't believe she had a baby." She had uncovered much more than she anticipated.

"I didn't mention that part to anyone yet. We have to find out more. We know a baby was born to her, but we don't know what happened to him. Was he adopted? Did he get sick?" Veronica wondered. "I don't want to say anything until I know more."

Mac agreed as Veronica said goodbye and headed to her car. Weevil was waiting outside for her. He was talking to Hector. When they saw her, Weevil smiled warmly at her.

Hector noticed his expression. "You got it bad, bro," he said with a grin.

"Yeah. She's pretty perfect," he said. She stopped in front of him and flashed those dimples at him. Her smile never failed to warm him and make him hot at the same time. With Lilly, he'd always been tied in knots. She'd made him crazy. At the time, he thought it was the good kind of crazy, but now he knew it really hadn't been. Lilly had been a mirage. Mac was real. And so much better for him in so many ways.

"Hey. How have you been, Hector?" she asked. Weevil hadn't spent much time with his former gang friends since he'd left the gang.

"Pretty good. How about you?" Hector asked.

"Mostly good," she answered honestly. Weevil reached out and took her bag. It was strange at first having a guy carry her stuff. She knew that Weevil knew she was quite capable of carrying her stuff. She had told him that the first two times he'd insisted. The first time he'd said that he knew she could but why should she have to. The second time she'd protested he'd pulled his grandma card. "My grandma would kill me if she thought I wasn't giving you enough consideration," he'd said. She finally let him have his way. It made him happy, and it also served to make her feel good that he cared so much about something so minor.

"Catch you later," Weevil told Hector as he grabbed Mac's hand. As they walked to the car, Mac shared with him the drama they'd missed at lunch.

"The new girl's going to have to watch her step," Weevil said with a knowing grin.

"I'm not sure what to think yet about her," Mac said.

"Well, I don't think about her at all," Weevil said when they arrived at her car. He tossed her bag in the backseat and then laced his other hand with hers, pulling her closer. "I'd much rather think about you."

Mac smiled at him, butterflies in her stomach. No one had ever made her feel as special as he made her feel—like she was the only person he wanted to talk to, to look at, or to be with. It was intoxicating and overwhelming at the same time. "I'm glad," she said softly. "I think about you, too."

He couldn't resist kissing her. Her arms went around his neck as his hands rested on her hips.

A boy walked by and let out a cat call. He broke off the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. "You are entirely too kissable!" he complained.

Mac pulled back a bit so she could look at him. "You're the first guy to think so," she said admitted.

"This school has a lot of idiots!"

Mac laughed and stepped away, so they could leave the school. "I think we should go."

"Some place more private," he finished with a grin. When she didn't disagree, he laughed and got into the car.

****** _A Few Hours Later At Java Hut******_

Wallace mentally kicked himself for forgetting that Veronica was working tonight. Jackie had suggested the local hang out when he asked to talk to her later. He went home after practice to shower and eat dinner. As he walked in and saw Veronica, he realized his mistake.

She smiled at him, walking toward him. "Hey! Do you need a table or are you picking up something?" she asked.

"Well, uh, I need a table. I'm meeting someone," he said slowly.

"Okay," she said, grabbing two menus. "Have I told you yet how much I like Hannah?"

"I like her, too. A lot. But I'm not meeting her. I'm meeting Jackie, but I'm not sure what she was thinking suggesting the place you work," Wallace said glumly.

"Why are you making plans with Jackie?" she asked suspiciously. Then she looked alarmed. "Is this a date?"

"No! Hannah knows about it," he said quickly. "I just wanted to talk to her away from everyone. She was pretty upset."

Veronica rolled her eyes. "Upset that her lying cover was blown! Be still my bleeding heart," she said sarcastically.

"Don't be like that!" Wallace scolded. He sat down at the table. Jackie came in. "Here she is. Be nice!"

"They pay me to be while I'm here. I get off in a half hour. Then all bets are off," she said. She ignored Jackie as she passed by.

"I forgot Veronica worked here," Jackie said sourly as she sat across from him.

"I didn't think about her working today, but it'll be okay," Wallace said.

"She hates me," Jackie said gloomily.

"No, she doesn't. Believe me. The people Veronica hates know it without a doubt," Wallace assured her. "She just is quick to go on the attack. She's been through a lot."

"Well, so have I," Jackie said.

"Why don't you tell me about it?" Wallace asked.

Veronica tried not to watch Wallace and Jackie, but it was hard. She didn't want that temptress pulling her best friend into her web. They were still talking intently when her shift ended. She was taking off her apron when Logan came in.

"Are you off?" he asked. She nodded. "Do you have time? I thought we could go to the beach and talk for a bit."

"Do you mind if we went to the one by my house? I want to change," she said.

"Sure. I'll follow you home," he said.

"Why don't you stop and get us a pint of ice cream?" she suggested.

Logan grinned at her. "Have a craving?"

"Always," she replied.

A half hour later, she, Logan, and Back Up were walking along the beach. Well, they were walking. Back Up was running joyfully as only dogs and toddlers can run.

Logan dutifully handed her a small paper bag. She grinned at him and took out the pint of double ripple fudge brownie, handing him back the paper bag. She handed him a plastic spoon and popped off the top. Her sexy moan of pleasure at her first bite made Logan groan.

"Do you have to do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" she asked. "You can have some."

He rolled his eyes—she didn't get it. He sighed and put his spoon in for a bite. Then she took another and said, "God, that's so good!"

When she gave another sigh of pleasure, he said, "Stop being so sexy sounding! It's killing me!"

She looked at him in confusion. Then she grinned as she saw him looking at her mouth. "You are so lame!"

"Lame? Me?" He reached out and took the pint of ice cream from her. His spoon pulled out a big bite. "How about I control the ice cream?"

She pouted but he remained resolute, taking the big scoop into his mouth. Then he started imitating her reaction in an exaggerated manner. "Oooh, it's soooo good! Oooh, I just want to make sweet love to this spoon!" he exclaimed, licking it non-stop.

She laughed and shoved him. "I totally do _not_ sound like that!" she insisted.

"Pretty close," he said with a smirk. Then he gave her a scoop of ice cream, feeding it to her.

Back Up ran up to them and dropped a stick at their feet. Logan handed Veronica back the pint and bent down to pick up the stick and throw it down the beach. Back Up barked excitedly and chased after it. "Dogs have it so easy," he observed. "It takes so little to make them happy."

"It doesn't take much to make a guy happy either," Veronica said with a smug look. She took another bite of the ice cream. Then she put the lid back on it and grabbed the bag back from him, shoving it inside. She moved a bit away from the water and sat down on the sand. Placing the bag on her left side, she patted the right side with her hand. "Come here," she ordered.

Logan grinned and sat down next to her. She reached out and ran her hand up his bare calf and then shocked the hell out of him by slipping it beneath his waist band. "What are you doing?" he gasped.

She grinned playfully. "Making you happy," she said as she grabbed a hold of him and squeezed.

"God, Veronica! Can you be more unpredictable?" His hands dug into the sand. He scanned the beach for witnesses and was relieved to find none.

"Maybe," she said, giving him a mischievous look. Then she pushed down his waist band and pulled out his penis. The thought of what she may or may not do instantly made him grow harder in her hand. Her hands wrapped around it and moved up and down his length, causing him to moan in pleasure.

Logan had been careful since the Cassidy showdown to not push Veronica too much whenever they made out. He didn't want to pressure her or make her feel like he couldn't wait. It wasn't always easy, but he didn't want to risk losing her. Her behavior now was a very happy surprise.

"You are absolutely right! It does _not_ take much to make me happy!" he spit out. Then his eyes rolled in the back of his head as she did something he dreamed about all the time.

A short time later, Logan was screaming her name as he quickly pulled out of her wickedly hot mouth and emptied himself onto the sand.

Veronica was a bit surprised at her own boldness. She wasn't sure what came over her. However, looking at Logan's dazed and euphoric expression filled her with pleasure.

His eyes locked onto hers as he breathed heavily, trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. He had figured she'd pick a fight with him over Jackie. That was her normal mode of operation. This was the last thing he expected to happen when he dropped by her work to see her.

He very carefully pulled up his shorts. Then he reached out and grabbed her hand and tugged her closer and fused his mouth onto hers, kissing her hungrily. "God, you're so unbelievable!" he exclaimed as he trailed his mouth down her neck. "Let me return the favor," he said. However, a very wet nose pushed its way between them.

Veronica giggled. "I think Back Up is jealous!" she observed, petting him.

"So why did you do that?" Logan had to ask. "I thought you were annoyed with me."

"Aren't I always?" she asked with a head tilt. "But I'm not really. I'm just frustrated lately. And maybe pissed. But not with you. Not really."

He put his arm around her shoulder. "I love you. I want things to be better for you. I'm sorry that they're not," he said.

"But they are better. I have you now," she said. She laid her head down on his shoulder.

Her words made Logan very happy. He had a feeling things were never going to be easy between them. However, it didn't matter if at the end of the day, their love remained.

****** _Chapter End******_

_I hope that wasn't too much for you. Comments are appreciated. Thanks!_


	12. Changes

****** _The Next Day******_

Hannah went to school Wednesday morning determined to gain the ground she felt she'd lost with Wallace. He was sweet, funny, and kind. Not to mention a basketball star and really cute. She thought they were falling in love, but now he seemed more focused on the new girl Jackie. Hannah had stayed up late last night thinking about how she could keep from losing Wallace. Maybe if she befriended Jackie, the girl wouldn't make a play for Wallace. She may be inexperienced, but she knew enough to know when a girl was considering making a play. Jackie looked at both Logan and Wallace with interest. Hannah didn't think anyone would be bold enough to so blatantly cross Veronica by making a play for Logan. Nor would Logan seriously look twice at another woman, so Hannah figured Wallace would be Jackie's logical choice.

Her dad dropped her off in front of the school, and she watched the parking lot, looking for Jackie. When she saw Jackie pull in, she walked toward the parking lot, trying to set up a casual run in.

Jackie was looking down at her cell phone when Hannah called out a friendly, "Good morning, Jackie!"

Jackie looked up and acknowledged Hannah with a lukewarm, "Hello."

Hannah pressed on, falling in step with Jackie. "So how are you liking Neptune? Isn't the weather so much better than New York?" Hannah said with a sunny smile.

Jackie stopped and turned to face her. "What's up?" she asked suspiciously.

Hannah faltered. "What do you mean?" she asked unsure.

Jackie's eyes narrowed as they zeroed in on her. She finally gave Hannah a grim smile. "Why are you being nice to me?"

Hannah frowned. "Why wouldn't I? You're friends with Wallace, and I'm his girlfriend. I'm nice to all his friends," she said, giving Jackie another friendly smile.

Now Jackie gave her a knowing smile. "Oh, I see. You were looking for an opportunity to announce your title, huh? Make sure I know Wallace is taken," Jackie said.

"What? I don't have to announce anything. I was just being friendly," Hannah said, starting to get defensive.

Jackie laughed. "Yeah, right. You can see that your man is panting after me, so you want to scope out the competition. It's okay. I understand," Jackie said.

Hannah finally lost her composure. "Panting after you? Are you kidding?" she asked in disbelief. "Wallace is a nice guy. He feels sorry for you because you've managed to tick off his best friend. Not a good move."

"I'm not worried about Veronica. And she's not the one you feel threatened by," Jackie said smugly. "You don't have to worry yet. I haven't decided yet if I want Wallace. When I do, you'll be the second to know." After making that pronouncement, she sauntered off.

Hannah couldn't believe the girl's audacity. She actually thought Wallace was hers for the taking. The small voice inside of her that echoed Jackie's words kept her from brushing off her remarks. Hannah didn't want to lose Wallace. Not to a girl like Jackie especially. She walked toward the main entrance, determined to find a way to keep Wallace's attention.

Veronica noticed Wallace's girlfriend going into school looking upset. She called her name, and Hannah stopped and turned. When she saw it was Veronica, she smiled and waited for her.

"Hey!" Veronica said. "How's things going?"

Hannah debated on whether or not it was a good idea to talk to Veronica. Then she decided since she was Wallace's best friend; she may be the best person to talk to. "I just had a not very nice conversation with Jackie," Hannah said.

"Oh, yeah? Do tell!" Veronica encouraged as they turned to go into the school. Once again, she felt the student bodies eyes on her. Like always, she did her best to ignore the stares and whispers.

"I saw Wallace talking to her after school yesterday, and he admitted he was trying to see if she was okay. I know he made plans to see her," Hannah admitted. "I told him it made me unhappy since he was supposed to be my boyfriend, but I guess, he still went to see her."

"They just talked at the Hut. I was there. I wouldn't worry about it," Veronica reassured her.

"Well, I'm trying not to because Wallace has assured me that he wants to be with me," Hannah said. "I'm not very experienced, and I don't want to lose him. I thought this morning that I'd be extra nice to Jackie. Maybe if we were friends, she wouldn't make a play for Wallace."

Veronica didn't know Hannah very well yet, but she was a sweet girl. She liked her a lot and could feel herself getting angry on Hannah's behalf. When Hannah shared exactly what Jackie said to her, Veronica got very angry. "The girl actually said that to you?"

"Yes. She wasn't very nice," Hannah said. "It was like she thought it was inevitable that Wallace would want her over me. She was pretty clear that if she wanted Wallace there was nothing I could do about it."

Veronica rolled her eyes. "The girl's got a lot of nerve. Too much, in my opinion," Veronica remarked.

Hannah hesitated before asking a tentative, "Uh, Veronica. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Veronica replied.

"Do you think if I had sex with Wallace, he'd quit talking to Jackie?" Hannah asked anxiously.

Now Veronica wanted to do some physical violence. "Hannah, do not use sex to hold onto Wallace or any guy. You deserve better than that! If Wallace is going to be too stupid to see through Jackie's act, then he doesn't deserve a great girl like you!" Veronica said hotly.

"But Wallace is so great, and I really like him a lot," Hannah said woefully. She looked like she was about to cry.

"I know how great Wallace is. He's my best friend. He's also too willing to give people a chance sometime," Veronica said. "Jackie is taking advantage of his good nature. Don't let her push you into doing something you're not ready for."

"Well, having sex with your boyfriend is what you do, right? We'll get to it eventually. Maybe it'll be better if I speed up the time table?" Hannah asked.

"I've been dating Logan longer than you have been with Wallace, and I'm not having sex with him," she said. Not technically she didn't add. "I'd rather you not spread that around."

Hannah was surprised by Veronica's confession, but her words did much to relieve Hannah's mind. "You're not? Really? But he's been with so many girls," Hannah said. Then she turned red in embarrassment. "I'm sorry!"

"Yeah, I know he was a man slut after Lilly died," Veronica said dryly. "We've fooled around a lot. But he loves me. A guy that really loves you doesn't pressure you to do something you're not ready for. If you're a virgin, especially, you don't want to go further than you feel ready. You can only give your virginity away once. You want to make sure it's on a guy that's going to appreciate what you're giving them."

"You don't think Wallace would?"

"I think he would if it's really the right time for the two of you," Veronica said carefully. "However, I don't think Wallace would truly want you to do sleep with him in an attempt to hold onto him. In my experience, if a guy is going to leave you, he will."

"Do you think he is?" Hannah asked, upset.

"No! I wasn't trying to say that. Wallace really likes you. Not only has he told me that, but I can tell," Veronica said. "But if he's giving you mixed signals or you're picking up on real interest on his behalf with Jackie, then you need to slow things down. Not speed them up. In the end, you'll be full of regret and very hurt if things don't work out with you both."

"There she is! The love of my life!" Logan exclaimed as he approached the two of them. He bent down to kiss Veronica hello.

Veronica hugged him, smiling at him with happiness. Hannah couldn't help but feel a bit envious of the obvious bond between them. However, knowing that Veronica hadn't used sex to tie Logan to her made Hannah feel better.

"Thanks for talking to me, Veronica," Hannah said as she turn to walk to her locker.

"Anytime," Veronica said, smiling at her.

"I don't know why you didn't let me pick you up," Logan said as he walked her to her locker.

"I need to stay after school today and work on something," Veronica said.

"World domination?" Logan asked with a grin.

"Maybe," she said airily.

Wallace joined them as he opened his own locker. "Hey, guys," he said.

"Good morning," Veronica said. Then she gave Wallace a fake smile. "So did you have a good time on your non-date with Jackie?"

Logan looked at Wallace with interest. "Non-date?" he asked with interest.

Wallace rolled his eyes. "Don't start on me, Veronica!" Wallace said.

"Logan, would you mind if I had a private chat with Wallace?" Veronica asked, looking at him.

"Go easy on him, bobcat," Logan said with a grin. He kissed Veronica's cheek. "See you in class."

Veronica watched him leave and then turned back to Wallace and said, "You know I had a really interesting chat with your girlfriend a few minutes ago."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yes, Jackie made it clear to her this morning that you were hers for the taking, but she hadn't decided if she wanted you yet," Veronica shared.

Wallace looked surprised. "She said that? Really?"

"Unless you think your girlfriend is a liar," Veronica said, trying to gauge how strong Jackie's influence was on Wallace.

"Of course, she's not!"

"Poor Hannah thinks she's going to loose you because she's not aggressive or experienced enough," Veronica said. "Do you care about Hannah?"

"Yes. I like her a lot," Wallace said.

"Then I suggest you cool things between your new pal Jackie. She's trouble, Wallace. Trust me. I know girls like her. I know what she left behind in Boston. She may be trying to have a fresh start here, but she knows you have a girlfriend and still thinks you're free game. What does that say about her?" Veronica wondered. "If you're not careful, you'll lose Hannah and be stuck with Jackie, who will break your heart." She closed her locker and went to class. She hoped Wallace didn't make the wrong choice.

Later, when she was in class with him and Jackie, she was happy to see Wallace act cool toward Jackie. Maybe he was thinking about things after all.

At lunch, Wallace quickly found Hannah. "Hey," he said, smiling at her. She gave him a small smile.

"Hi," she said.

"Are you okay? Veronica told me that Jackie upset you this morning," Wallace said.

Hannah got nervous, wondering what else Veronica told her. "Did she tell you anything else?"

"Just that Jackie implied she could have me if she wanted," Wallace said. He reached out and took her hand. "I'm sorry. I think maybe I've given Jackie mixed signals."

Hannah decided Veronica had a point and pulled back her hand. "Why is that, Wallace? If you want to be with other people, just tell me. Don't lead me on. Don't break my heart," she told him.

Wallace winced, feeling like a jackass. "I'm really sorry. I know I keep saying that, but I am. I didn't mean to hurt you or lead Jackie on. I don't want us to break up," Wallace told her. "Please, give me another chance."

Hannah wanted to believe him, so she nodded. "Okay, but I don't want you spending time with her. She obviously has designs on you. You can't have it both ways," Hannah said. "If you want to be with me, you can't be with her, too. Not even as friends. I don't trust her. And to be honest, I'm not sure I trust you with her."

Wallace nodded. "I guess I understand that," he said. He took her hand again and led her to a lunch table.

Mac walked outside looking for her friends. She saw Dick heading to his truck and hurried to him. "Dick!" she called out. He turned and waited for him.

"What's up?" he asked.

"You tell me," Mac said. "How are you doing? You're not leaving, are you?"

He shrugged. "I'm just not feeling it," Dick said.

"Dick, this is your last year. You want to graduate, don't you?" Mac asked.

"Does it matter? It's not like I have anyone at home that cares about what I do or don't do," he said bitterly.

"Then it's up to you," Mac said. "Your life is your own. Don't ruin it before it's really began."

Dick looked at her silently a moment. "How could things get any worse?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she said. "But do you really want to find out? You may be an 09er, but I don't know if you'll get a free pass anymore in school. Some people are hostile toward your family these days."

"Maybe," Dick conceded. "Do you want to go get some lunch with me?"

Mac felt torn. She knew Dick needed a friend, but she also knew Weevil would be really pissed if she left campus with him. "Why don't you come eat with me and Weevil?" she suggested.

Dick grimaced. "I don't think Weevil really likes me," Dick said.

"He doesn't know you, does he? He's just protective and your comments to Veronica have put his back up," Mac said easily. "He's my boyfriend, Dick. If you and I are going to be friends, you got to get along with him."

Dick sighed in resignation. "Okay," he said. Mac smiled at him and somehow a bit of his gloominess went away.

Mac led Dick to the tables. They sat down next to Logan and Veronica who were reading the newspaper. "More bad news?" Mac asked.

"I guess it depends on your point of view," Veronica said sourly. "I talked to the reporter, Julie Sterling, that did the first article. I answered some questions. Naturally, she considered it an interview and wrote another article about me."

"How did we not know this?" Mac asked, grabbing the paper to read.

"Well, I'm so used to people whispering about me that I didn't think much about the whispers today. Nothing was taped to my locker today, so I didn't pay any attention," Veronica said, rolling her eyes.

"Veronica, got all honest with the reporter," Logan said with a grin. Mac and Dick poured over the news article.

"Wow!" Mac said when she finished reading it. "This is a great article. She managed to get some real stories about things that were done to you last year after your dad was run out of office. She quotes some student who says you got all scary with the payback. She even says you refused to be a victim."

"Yeah, and she paints Veronica out to be a compassionate saint who even forgives her rapist, who is a victim of undeserving abuse himself," Logan said with a smirk. "Saint Veronica. It has a nice ring."

Veronica glared at him. "Don't even start!" she warned.

Dick finally finished reading the article and looked at Veronica. "Do you really mean that? You don't hate my brother?" he asked.

Veronica shrugged. "I don't want to hate anyone, Dick. I've been angry a long time. I feel bad for what your brother went through with the coach, but it wasn't my fault. I don't want to believe you really wanted your brother to rape me, but I honestly don't know," Veronica replied.

Dick looked down at his hands a moment. Then he finally met her eyes. "I just was so lame and so stupid," he said quietly.

Before anyone could say more, Weevil arrived with two pizzas. "One is vegetarian," he said, smiling at Mac. He nodded at Dick as he sat down on Mac's other side.

"Thank you," Mac said smiling at him. She pushed the box of pizza toward Dick, glad that everyone was finally getting along. The changes the group had gone through recently had been difficult for everyone. However, she hoped they could work through it and remain friends. She watched Logan tell Weevil and Dick a story. Both guys were laughing at Logan's tale. Maybe things were going to be okay. She took a bite of her pizza feeling really happy. It was a nice feeling.

****** _After School******_

Meg pulled up to her house and noticed a strange car in her driveway. She went into the house and saw her parents saying goodbye to a woman Meg didn't know. The woman smiled at Meg as she passed her walking out the front door.

"Who was that?" Meg asked curiously.

"How could you?" her mom said hurtfully.

"That woman was from child welfare," her father said grimly. "It seems your half a dozen phone calls to them had finally warranted an investigation."

"Oh," Meg said, taken aback. She had given the nannycam to Duncan, who promised to let his security guy handle things. But she had just given it to him today, so Meg knew they couldn't know yet about everything. "Did she talk to Grace?"

"Of course not! There's no need. Grace is fine!" her father insisted.

"What were you thinking?" her mom asked, upset.

"What was I thinking?" Meg asked, incredulous. "I was thinking that someone needed to put a stop to your archaic and harmful parenting practices."

"You are a foolish, young lady who got herself knocked up. You're the last one to give us advice," her father said harshly.

"I made those calls before I knew how completely deranged you two were," Meg informed them. "I didn't know you were locking her in a crawl space in her closet. But don't worry, I'll make sure someone puts a stop to you. I'll protect Grace."

Her father took an angry step toward and swung his hand, slapping her hard across the face. "You forget yourself! This is our home. I am your father. You won't speak to me like that! Nor will you threaten me!" he exclaimed angrily. "As long as you're living under our roof, you will respect our rules."

Meg's hand went to her throbbing face. Her eyes filled with tears. "Okay," she said. Then she turned to leave. Numbly, she went to her room and shut the door. Then she went to her closet and got out her luggage and began to pack.

When she was done, she walked to her sister's room and told her what had happened. "I can't stay here, Liz," she told her sister. "I don't want to leave Grace, but I have to think of my baby. I don't trust them. They can't get their hands on my child."

Lizzie nodded. "We need to call Aunt Becky and tell her what's going on. Maybe she can help," Lizzie said.

"I will. Duncan's got some things in the works to help, too. We'll protect Grace. They'll be stopped," she vowed.

"I will take care of her," Lizzie said. She'd always been so jealous of her perfect sister. Now that she'd gotten pregnant, it was so much easier for Lizzie to not resent her. It was good to know her sister wasn't so perfect after all.

Meg hugged her and then went over to Grace's room. She frowned to see her sister sitting on her bed studying a note card full of Bible scriptures. It wouldn't bother her so much if her sister was allowed to have some fun. Her parents wouldn't even let her watch television anymore.

"Grace, I wanted to let you know that I'm moving out. I'm going to go stay with Duncan. We're going to have a baby," she said gently as she sat down on her sister's bed.

"Are you getting married?" her sister asked.

"I don't know. Maybe someday. You should be married before you have a baby, but you don't have to be," Meg answered frankly. "I'm going to miss you so much."

Grace looked a bit sad and lost, but she just stared solemnly at her. "Don't go," she said softly.

Meg had to fight the guilt and tears at her sister's words. "I'll come back to visit you. I promise. You know I love you so much, right?" she asked.

Grace nodded. "I love you, too," she replied.

"You know it's not right to tell lies, right?" Meg said.

Again, Grace nodded. "It makes God angry and the angels cry," she said.

Meg grimaced a bit at the indoctrination. "Well, I want you to remember that if anyone comes to visit you and asks you questions. You must always answer truthfully. Even if you're afraid. Okay?" Meg prompt. She knew it was only a matter of time before Grace was questioned.

"Okay," Grace said.

"If someone asks you questions about things Mom and Dad make you do, I want you to be honest and tell them, okay? You can't lie," Meg urged.

"I won't," Grace said simply.

Meg hugged her tightly, trying not to cry. Then she got up. "Goodbye, sweetie. I'll see you soon. I promise," she said. She walked to her room and grabbed her backpack and purse and make-up bag. She decided to carry it to her car first, hoping to avoid notice. Her dad was in his study, so she was able to get back to her room unseen. She grabbed the carry-on bag and the suitcase handle and started dragging it down the hall.

Her sister Lizzie came out of her room and took the handle. "I'll help," she said. The two girls almost made it to the front door when her mom came out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"You and Dad made it clear that if I'm going to stay here I need to shut up and simply obey," Meg said. "It's not going to happen. I'm not going to let you keep abusing Grace or let Dad slap me anytime I say something he doesn't like."

"Stewart!" her mom called out. Her dad appeared.

Meg and Lizzie exchanged weary glances. Meg should've known it wouldn't be so easy.

"Your daughter is leaving," her mom said flatly.

"If you walk out that door, don't think about coming back! Not even to see your sisters," her dad said harshly.

"You can't keep my sisters from me!" Meg said angrily.

"Watch us," her dad said determinedly.

Meg nodded. "Okay. That's how you want to play it. Remember this moment when you lose everything," she said. Then she opened the front door and walked out.

Ten minutes later, she rang Duncan's doorbell. He opened it and looked surprised to see her at his door with luggage. As soon as she saw him, she put down her bags and threw her arms around him and began to cry.

Duncan put his arms around her, trying to comfort her. Meg hadn't quite forgiven him for his waffling. However, she needed him. No one had ever really needed him before. He liked being able to take care of someone for a change. He'd not been able to do that with his sister or with Veronica. Duncan was determined to be better with Meg. He ushered her inside his house, feeling confident that he could, for once, be what she needed.

****** _Chapter End*****_

_I know this chapter focused more on other characters than LoVe, but I hope you still liked it!_


	13. A Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated “M” for mature.

******* _Thursday*******_

Duncan parked his car and turned off the engine. He faced Meg. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

"I guess," she said tiredly. She didn't get much sleep the night before. After talking to Duncan's parents and then making plans with Duncan, it was late before they even headed to bed. Then worry for her baby and Grace had kept her from falling to sleep. "I'm really tired."

"You should've stayed home. Missing a day won't kill you," Duncan said.

"I'll be missing more than a day next semester when the baby is born. I don't want to miss any now," Meg said.

"You don't need to worry so much. We got a plan, and everything will be fine," Duncan assured her. "We'll go see your aunt this weekend and tell her what's going on. We'll show her the proof. She'll help."

"I hope so," Meg said. "What if she won't?"

"Let's not worry about that until we have to," Duncan said.

He stepped out of his truck. Then he went around to the passenger side and helped Meg out. He grabbed their back packs before shutting the truck door. Slinging both over his right shoulder, he reached out with his left hand and grabbed hers.

They walked into school together. Duncan hoped that his words to Meg would be true. He didn't want to make things public for Meg. It would be so much better if the entire sordid mess could stay private.

The bell rang as they walked inside, so neither of them had time to fill their friends in on what had happened.

At lunch, Meg and Duncan joined Veronica and Logan at a table. Weevil was showing Logan some car magazine. Meg told them what had happened the night before.

"I can't believe your dad hit you!" Veronica exclaimed.

"A slap across the face isn't much of a hit," Logan remarked.

"Only the son of the sadistic Aaron Echolls would say that," Weevil said with a smirk.

Logan shrugged. Meg looked shocked and embarrassed at Weevil's comment.

"Don't be alarmed. They have a twisted form of bonding," Veronica said with a fond smile at the two of them.

"So what's the plan?" Logan asked Duncan and Meg.

"We're going to go this weekend to my Aunt's—she's my mom's sister. I'm going to show her the video I have from the nannycam and the recording of the crawl space Grace is locked in," Meg said.

"You 09ers sure got some messed up shit going on," Weevil said, shaking his head. Mac and Dick appeared. Weevil smiled at Mac when she sat down next to him. He resigned himself to Dick's presence. He watched Dick carefully when he was around Mac. So far, he'd not detected any vibes coming off the two of them. Nor did Dick seem to lust after Mac. If he did, Weevil was going to have to seriously hurt him. Mac was his, and he wasn't about to lose her to that messed up best friend of Logan's.

"What's up?" Mac said.

"Meg moved out of her house," Veronica shared.

"Hey, I got plenty of room at my place," Dick offered. "You can stay with me if you want."

Duncan frowned, clearly not liking the idea. "She's going to stay in our pool house," Duncan. "I want to be near the baby."

"Well, you can stay with me, too. I have a pool house," Dick said.

"The house is empty without your brother, huh?" Mac said in sympathy. She figured Dick was probably lonely.

Dick shrugged, looking vulnerable. "Yeah, I guess," Dick admitted. "Mom went back to her other family. She said she'd come back for Thanksgiving."

Meg gave him a warm smile and reached out and squeezed his hand in sympathy. "Well, if Duncan's parents become too much for me, I'll definitely take you up on your offer," she told him. "But I don't want to alienate them yet. I'm going to need their help to get my sister away from my parents."

"Very true," Veronica said. "But this may make things easier. Dad told me last night that he's been asked to take over as sheriff starting next week. Lamb is officially out of there!"

Logan and Weevil both grinned. "And it's not even my birthday," Weevil said.

"We should totally order Lamb a cake to commemorate his last day!" Logan said eagerly. "We can have it say _Congrats on your forced retirement_ or something."

"How about _Glad You Got the Can_?" Weevil suggested.

"I think a singing telegram is a nice touch," Logan suggested with a smirk.

"Does Neptune have that?" Mac asked in bemusement.

"We can get the cheerleading squad to do it," Meg said, smiling.

"I'll talk to Hannah," Veronica added, getting in the spirit of things.

"I think this calls for a party," Logan said. He turned to Dick. "Since you are living all alone in that great big house of yours, do you wanna host?"

Dick grinned eagerly. "Of course! Friday or Saturday?"

"I got dinner plans Friday with Dad, Alicia, and Wallace," Veronica said.

"We're going to be gone Friday night to Meg's aunt's," Duncan reminded them.

"Saturday night it is," Dick said. "I'll spread the word."

"If it's all your lame ass 09er friends, count me out," Weevil said.

"We'll invite the bag lady if it'll make you feel more at home," Dick said with a grin.

Weevil gave him a sour look. Logan didn't appreciate the comment either. "Not funny, Dick," he told him in disapproval. Then he looked at Weevil. "Sorry, dude. If we have a party, the 09ers will come even if we didn't invite them. It's just the way things are."

"You can invite whoever you want, though. I don't care," Dick said, offering an olive branch.

"Fine. I will," Weevil said pointedly. He'll invite everyone of his former friends just to piss off Dick.

Dick looked expectantly at Mac. "You gonna help me with the food and stuff?" he asked her. She had helped with his last party. The one for his brother hadn't turned out so good, but it had started out very well.

"Sure," she said. "I'll start making a list. Weevil and I will go shopping Saturday afternoon."

Dick got out his wallet and gave her one of his credit cards. "Here. I'll get the booze," he told her.

Weevil wasn't quite sure how he managed to be sucked into party planning for Dick Casablancas. He gave Veronica a glum look. Veronica laughed at his expression. They were turning into a motley crew.

****** _Friday*******_

Lettie looked at her son and Logan with a stern frown. "Boys, are you sure you don't want to spend the weekend in Mexico with me? I don't think it's a good idea to leave you here all alone," Lettie said.

Weevil rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, we're not twelve! We're eighteen. Legally able to vote, get drafted, and buy cigarettes," Weevil said.

Lettie's eyes widened. "There will be no buying of cigarettes while I'm gone!" she exclaimed in disapproval.

"Technically, I can't anyway. I'm not quite eighteen," Logan said with a grin.

Weevil elbowed him. "Not the point," he said grimly. "Grandma, relax. We promise not to throw any parties or having any of the guys over."

"Dick's having a party tomorrow, though. We'd like to go to that," Logan said.

"Dick, the one without any parental supervision?" Lettie asked suspiciously.

Logan gave Weevil a "What do I say now?" look.

"Veronica will be there," Weevil said. "And Mac. In fact, Mac is helping plan it. You know she won't let things get out of hand."

"Oh, and Veronica's dad is back to being sheriff, so the last thing Veronica would want is a party out of control. She wouldn't want the neighbors calling the cops," Logan said.

"If I get one phone call from police or fireman while I'm gone, you boys won't be leaving the house until graduation!" Lettie replied.

"We'll be fine," Weevil said. He got up from the couch and kissed her cheek. "We gotta get to school or we'll be late."

"Is that car safe to drive?" Lettie asked.

"Of course! It's running like a dream," Weevil said with satisfaction.

"You boys behave. We'll be back Sunday evening," Lettie said.

"Tell Tia Rosa I said hi," Weevil said. He looked at Logan, "Come on. We're going to be late."

Weevil hugged his grandmother and grabbed his keys. Logan smiled at her and was about to walk by when she reached out and grabbed his arm. "What? No hug?" she asked.

Logan allowed her to pull him into her embrace. His mother used to hug him, but she was much thinner and smelled of expensive perfume. Weevil's grandmother smelled, well, she smelled like a grandmother. Her open affection warmed a place inside of Logan that he didn't know was cold. When he pulled back, she put her hand on his cheek. "You're a good boy. Take care of my grandson," she ordered.

"I'll do my best," Logan said. He should feel resentful of her rules and demands, but instead, it made him feel cared for. She cared enough to restrict their activities. Her love made her worry. It's why Logan found himself unable to move out. Some part of him craved her grandmotherly love and concern. Filled with affection for the woman who had taken him in, he kissed her cheek. "You be careful. Don't let any desperadoes sweep you off your feet!" Lettie smiled at him. Then he turned to follow Weevil outside.

"Get in," Weevil ordered. He opened his now running car and started the engine. It revved loudly. Logan sighed in resignation, not wanting to admit that the sound gave him a sense of pride.

"I don't know why I can't drive my own car," Logan said with a frown.

"Because I've ridden in that eye sore for weeks now. This car is much better," Weevil said with satisfaction.

"We gotta pick up Ronnie," Logan said.

Weevil looked at the time. "Check your phone. I'm sure she's already gone. She hates being late. We're running late," Weevil said.

Logan pulled out his phone. Sure enough, Veronica had sent two text. _Where are u?_ and _Taking my own car._

Logan sent her an apology text. _Sorry. Lettie kept us from leaving on time. Will explain._

A short time later, they pulled into school. The second bell had already rung. They were stopped in the hall by Mr. Clemmons.

"Well, what do we have here? Eli Navarro and Logan Echolls coming into school together," Mr. Clemmons said, stating the obvious. "You both are late."

"Sorry. My grandmother wouldn't let us out of the house without a million last minute instructions," Weevil said. "She's going to be gone for the weekend and is overprotective."

"So the rumor is true? Your grandmother has taken responsibility for Logan?" Mr. Clemmons asked.

Logan nodded. "Yes, we know. We're an odd couple," Logan said sourly.

"Couple? Well, that wasn't the word I was going for," Mr. Clemmons said with an amused smile.

Logan snickered while Weevil glared. "We're missing first period," Logan reminded the principal.

"Ah, yes. You're tardy. I expect to see you both in afternoon school detention," Mr. Clemmons said with a small smile. He watched the two walk down the hall. He'd been a teacher and administrator for over twenty years. Nothing in his experience had prepared him for the pairing of the former PCHer and the son of Hollywood royalty. He knew, though, that Lettie Navarro had worked for the Echolls. The saint of a woman had raised her own children and now her four grandsons. It seemed there was no limits to the woman's compassion. Clemmons shook his head in bemusement—people were full of surprises.

****** _That Evening******_

"Why did we have to pick Luigi's again?" Wallace complained. He was sitting at a table between his brother and Veronica. Their parents were sitting across from them.

"Because it's awesome," Veronica said with a grin.

"I wanted Chinese," Wallace said.

"We're celebrating Keith's new appointment. This is his and Veronica's favorite place," Alicia explained.

Veronica gave Wallace a smug look and popped a piece of bread into her mouth.

"So, honey, did Dick tell you that Cassidy was transferred to a state facility for treatment in San Diego?" Keith asked his daughter.

Veronica shook his head. "He told us he was hoping that would happen. His mom wanted to ship him to a fancy, overpriced place hours away. Dick was really upset," she said.

"I don't get his mom," Wallace said. "She doesn't seem concerned about leaving Dick all alone in that house. His dad is AWOL and his brother a nut case. What kind of mom is she?"

"Not all moms are as good as yours," Keith said, giving Alicia a fond smile.

"The 09ers parents are often neglectful," Veronica said. "Logan's parents started leaving him home alone when he was twelve with only the housekeeper checking in on him."

Wallace shook his head. "I guess money don't buy good parenting," he said.

"I think that's cool. They get to do whatever they want," Darrel said.

"But there's no one to take care of them when they get sick," Alicia informed her youngest, who frowned at that reminder.

"It's good that Cassidy is going to be close to his brother. I think keeping his bonds with his brother intact will help Cassidy a lot," Keith said.

"So is his dad a suspect in that pervert coach's murder?" Wallace asked.

"Has Dick mentioned that to you?" Keith asked with interest, ignoring his question.

Wallace shook his head. "Nah. I just figured. His dad disappeared right after the guy was shot," Wallace said. "Seemed suspicious to me."

"Actually, he left the U.S. the day he was shot," Veronica replied. When her dad looked surprised at her answer, she shrugged. "So I checked."

"I think Dick Sr. is definitely a person of interest," Keith replied. "I'll look over Lamb's notes and case file Monday."

The server brought them their food. Soon they all were too occupied to talk much.

Finally, Alicia pushed back her plate. "I'm going to have to start taking my Pilates class again if you two keep bringing me here," she said with a contented sigh.

Veronica grinned. "Why do you think Dad has that spare tire?" she replied.

"Hey, there's no spare. Maybe a half a tire," Keith protested, patting his stomach.

Veronica's phone vibrated, and she checked her message. "Mac's on her way," she told her dad.

"You're leaving on family night?" Wallace asked in a scandalized tone.

"Mac asked me to stay the night with her. It's our first sleepover," Veronica said.

"It's fine," Alicia said with a smile.

"Are you coming back in the morning?" Keith asked.

"Probably around ten. I got a shift at the Hut. I get off at four," Veronica said.

"Call me if you need me," Keith said. Veronica smiled and got up from her chair. She hugged Alicia and her dad before waving goodbye.

She was waiting by her dad's car with her overnight bag when Mac pulled up five minutes later.

Mac gave her a nervous look. "Are you sure about this?" Mac asked.

"Yes. I'm having a sleepover with you. I never said it was at your house," Veronica said with a smug grin.

"What if our parents find out?" Mac said.

"Then we'll be grounded," Veronica said with a shrug. She knew her dad wouldn't check on her. "I will send my dad a text saying goodnight in a few hours. That's all he'll need. You can call your parents then. As long as they hear you're okay, they'll have no reason to call my dad."

Mac drove them to Weevil's. She still felt nervous, but she also felt excited. Weevil's grandmother was gone for the weekend. Weevil wanted her to stay the night. Mac didn't know if they'd have sex or not, but the thought of all those hours spent with her boyfriend both terrified and aroused her.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Veronica said. "I'm not going to have sex with Logan, but I want to be close to him. We've slept together before without having sex."

"You have?" Mac asked in surprise.

"Well, we fooled around. It was really amazing," Veronica admitted. "But it didn't go further than I wanted."

Mac felt reassured at Veronica's words. Then she admitted, "I'm on the pill."

"Really?" Veronica asked.

"I thought it'd be a good idea. It takes a while for your body to adjust to it, and I figured it'd happen eventually," Mac said pragmatically. "Now I don't have to worry about unwanted consequences."

"Logan and I got STD tests, and I was going to go on it. But finding out about the chlamydia sort of put a damper on things," Veronica admitted. "I need to go back, though."

"Well, when we do have sex, Weevil we'll be wearing a condom. He was sleeping with Lilly Kane, who was sleeping with Logan's dad. That man was a slut. I hate to think about it," Mac said with a grimace.

So did Veronica. "You should make him get an STD test. Then you won't have to worry so much," Veronica advised.

Mac brightened at the suggestion. "Good idea."

The front door of Weevil's house opened up before they even got out of the car. Logan was eager. He was still having trouble believing both girls had agreed to spend the night.

"Tell Mac to park the car across the street a few houses down," Weevil ordered. "My grandmother talks to our neighbors."

Logan went down the steps to the car to give Mac the instructions. A short time later, the girls were inside. The four of them stood there awkwardly a minute. Then Logan grabbed Veronica and pulled her down on the couch next to him. "I got _Goonies_. Can you believe Weevil's never seen it?"

"I love that movie!" Mac exclaimed, relieved the night was going to progress naturally.

"We got popcorn," Weevil said.

"And chocolate," Logan said, giving Veronica a knowing look.

"Do you want to help me with drinks?" Weevil asked Mac. She nodded and followed him into the kitchen.

He knew Mac was nervous, so he reached out and pulled her against him. "Relax, Cindy. We're not going to do anything you don't want to do," Weevil assured her.

"I want to do stuff," Mac admitted.

Weevil smiled at her. "Then we'll do stuff," he said. "But we'll stop when you want to stop." He kissed her.

When he pulled back, she was looking a bit more relaxed. "I'm glad I'm here," she told him honestly. And she was. Being with Weevil was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her. The feelings he invoked in her made her feel so alive, so happy all the time. It was great having a boyfriend.

Two hours later, the credits were rolling on the movie. Mac looked over at Weevil's face. He had been amused and riveted the entire movie. It was so cute to see. Logan and Veronica, on the other hand, had spent most of the movie making out. It was a bit disconcerting at first. However, Mac eventually just ignored it. Weevil turned off the television and looked over at the couple.

"Movie is over!" he announced in a loud voice to get the couple's attention. Veronica pushed Logan off of her, looking sheepish.

"Did you like it?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah, I did," Weevil admitted.

"Told you!" Logan said with a smirk. Then he got up and pulled Veronica to her feet. "We'll see you guys in the morning." Veronica reached down and grabbed her bag before Logan dragged her off to his room.

Mac felt like a nest of butterflies had settled in her stomach. Weevil gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay. We're not them. We'll go at our own speed," he told her.

Mac flashed him a smile. She decided to follow Veronica's advice and called her parents to say goodnight. Then she got up. "I'm ready," she said. Weevil took her hand and led her to his room. The room he had painstakingly cleaned when their plans were made.

Mac realized that his twin bed would demand a close proximity even if they didn't have sex. She looked at him and a decision was suddenly made. "I think I love you," she told him for the first time.

Weevil's eyes widened in surprise at her confession. "You do?" he asked.

Mac nodded. "I've never felt like this before," she said.

"Me either," Weevil admitted. "You are the most amazing and brilliant girl I've ever known."

"I don't want to be brilliant. I want to be sexy," Mac said defiantly. Then she took a deep breath and pulled off her t-shirt. Before she lost her courage, she slipped off her bra. When Weevil's mouth fell open in shock, her nerves began to settle. "When it comes to sex, I'm out of my depth. I expect you to know what you're doing."

Weevil grinned at her. "I think this is one subject I get all A's in," he told her. Then he pulled her into his arms.

_ ******Across the Hall****** _

Veronica was trying to talk to Logan in between kisses. He was making it difficult. "So Mac and I were talking," she said. Logan covered her mouth again. His hands snaked under her shirt to fondle her breasts. When his lips began trailing down her neck, she said, "I'm going to go on the pill."

Logan stopped and pulled back. "Really?" he asked hopefully.

Veronica nodded. "Mac reminded me that you should be on it a few weeks before having sex to be the safest," she said.

"I got condoms," Logan added hopefully.

Veronica smiled at his hopeful expression. "They're not foolproof," she reminded him.

"But we're still going to fool around, right?" Logan asked.

Veronica grinned. Then she pulled off her t-shirt. "I think that can be arranged," she said. Logan gave her a wicked grin and took off his own. Then he went a step further and stepped out of his jeans. Veronica kicked off her shoes and laid back on the bed. Logan peeled off her jeans. When she was in her bra and panties, he stopped to admire her.

"You are so hot!" he exclaimed in admiration.

"You're not so bad yourself," she replied.

Flashing her a wolfish grin, he covered her body slightly with her own and began kissing her. The kiss soon took on a life of its own. He deftly removed her bra, freeing her breasts for his lips. Sucking on one and palming the other, he caused her to moan in pleasure. His hands lightly skimmed down her sides and across her stomach. He felt her stomach muscles clench in response. When his hand cupped her, she gasped. His lips fused back to hers as he began rubbing her over her panties. He sped up his rub then he pinched her nipple harder than he ever had before, and she exploded.

Veronica looked at him in amazement. "My panties are still on. How did that happen?" she asked in bemusement.

"I'm good," he said arrogantly. "I've decided to see how many times I can make you come. You're going to be the most pleasured virgin in town."

Veronica's eyes darkened a moment in sadness. "I'm not a virgin," she reminded him.

"In all the ways that matter, you are," he told her firmly. "I'm the only guy you want to be with or will remember being with. A technicality doesn't matter."

His words made her smile. He always seemed to know what to say. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you, too," he said. He placed a kiss on her bare stomach. "After tonight, you're going to love me more." He grinned and slipped off her panties.

Veronica's hands clenched the sheet as waves of pleasure washed over. The things Logan knew how to do with that tongue never ceased to amaze her.

******* _Chapter End*****_

_ I hope you enjoyed the update. Thanks so much! _


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